


Child of the Moon

by AlongCameASpider



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:18:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 28
Words: 43,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23840629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlongCameASpider/pseuds/AlongCameASpider
Summary: “While we have hunted the Children of the Moon to near extinction in Europe, we have yet to touch the American continents.” Hellbent on exterminating the one true threat to vampires, the Volturi head to North America to put down a newly discovered pack. Needless to say, things don't go anywhere close to as planned.*Language, Sexual Content*
Relationships: Aro (Twilight)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 43
Kudos: 164





	1. Chapter One

Chapter One

\--Washington, United States--

Paws pounded against the ground. _Kill_. He was fast, but I was faster. The scenery blurred passed as speed increased. A low growl rumbled in my chest. A warning. _I’m coming for you._ He chose the wrong night to wander onto our territory. But I was the lucky one. I caught his scent. I tracked him down. I would be the one to rid the world of this particular abomination. _Kill._ These creatures that stunk of sour earth and preyed on innocent people. Draining their blood, taking their life. Or worse, creating more of their kind. They needed their existence to be brought to an end. Permanently.

The man looked over his shoulder. Wrong move. _Kill._ It slowed him just enough. I lunged, colliding with him and sending us both in a roll across the forest floor. We slammed into a tree, and he used the opportunity to sink his teeth into my scruff. _Kill._ I yelped, turning my head and forcing my own all the way through his forearm. He screeched, freeing me from his jaws. Quickly, I whipped my head around. _Kill._ I snapped through his neck like it was butter. His head rolled. And the last thing his red eyes saw was my bared teeth.

\--Volterra, Italy—

“Masters.” The burly man greeted with a bow, standing before the three thrones. A man occupied each one. The left was a man who appeared as though he could care less about almost anything. As if he had seen too much and didn’t care to see anymore. The right was occupied by a man with pale blond hair, a stark contrast to the others. The man in the middle, usually with a cheerful disposition, looked quite bored at the moment.

“What is it, Felix?” the blond asked.

The man called Felix stepped closer, “Master Caius, there has been a report of unusual activity in the Olympic Peninsula. It is suspected there is a pack of Children of the Moon in the area.”

“We already know that, Felix,” Caius said irritably, “Those are the Cullen’s pets. Shapeshifters.”

Felix shook his head, “No, this is a different pack. Suspect activity has only been observed on the new and full moons.”

Now the man in the middle looked interested, “Children of the Moon. Felix, prepare to leave with Demetri. Find and observe whomever they may be. I want to know all that you can. Understood?”

“Yes, Master Aro,” Felix bowed shortly again before exiting.

“Could these really be Children of the Moon?” Caius asked, sounding skeptical.

Aro leaned back in his chair, thoughtful, “I believe they could. While they have been hunted to near extinction in Europe, we have yet to touch the American continents.”

Children of the Moon. What humans called werewolves. What awful creatures they were. These animals were the only true threat to vampire kind. No human tool existed that could harm a vampire. A werewolf’s teeth, on the other hand, were powerful enough to break clean through in a single snap of the jaws. What was worse, their saliva contained a protein that was akin to burning the body. It rendered a vampire unable to regenerate. And, as it happened, they seemed to be completely immune to a vampire’s venom. Meaning, they were very deadly creatures, and almost impossible to destroy with strength alone. But Aro and his brothers knew their one real weakness.

He stood and crossed the room, passed a large table to an impressively sized cabinet against the far wall. Throwing the doors open, he admired his arsenal. Daggers and small knives of various sizes and blade curvature hung within. He selected one and held it in one hand. With the other, he ran his fingers along the straight silver blade. Pure silver.

Aro smiled wickedly.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

\--Volterra, Italy--

Demetri briskly crossed the spacious room, Felix not far behind. The men gathered around the table payed them no mind as they approached.

“Masters,” Demetri called before standing among them, “You'll be pleased to know we located the werewolves and have gathered intel to present.”

“Complete with photographs,” Felix added as he joined them. Aro gestured at the table, wanting them to begin. Demetri placed the first photo in front of him, “The Alpha, Glenn Crawford. Twenty-seven years of age. Originally from New Jersey. First bitten when he was only twelve.”

The man in the picture was quite muscular, though a bit on the shorter side. His head was shaved clean and a scar stretched across his right cheek. The most interesting thing about him, however, were his eyes. They were a striking silver, appearing to almost glow. Demetri placed another photo down. This one was a very young looking girl with a dark brown pixie cut. The way her nose turned up slightly was almost cute, in a way.

“Serena McFee. Eighteen. Comes from Florida. Seems a bit, I believe the word the Americans used was, ditzy. Rather unintelligent.”

Aro certainly didn't doubt that. Something in her smile made it obvious. The next picture was another young girl with brown hair. Hers was shoulder length and curly. She didn't smile in her photo. Demetri spoke, “Emmi Bernhard, age twenty. Originally from the Pacific Northwest. She's a musician, and pines for the Alpha.”

Another photograph. This woman had very long blonde hair and a soft smile, “Eileen Darrel, twenty-nine, from the Midwest. Very average.”

Another photo. “Stuart Barlow. An immigrant from Germany and the oldest of the pack at thirty-three. Bitten by the Alpha himself while on his way to a pub. This one is very light on his feet. It would be best to remain alert, as he could sneak up easily.”

The final photo, “Lorna Fitzpatrick, twenty-three. Also hails from the Midwest, she is a college student studying business administration. It appears that she is the Alpha's Beta, and was also infected by him.”

Aro pulled the picture closer to examine it. The young woman's hair was jet black and hung straight, dropping over her shoulder and stopping just above her breasts. Her silver eyes stared ahead almost angrily, face covered in a sea of freckles. Something about this one was especially interesting. But at the moment he was unable to place what it was, exactly.

He picked up the photo of the bald man and held the two side by side. The Alpha and the Beta. First and second in commands. Without them, the pack would be nothing. Aro dropped the photos back to the table, never taking his eyes of the woman, “These two must be removed first. Without their leaders, the remainder of the pack will crumble. When is the next moon?”

It was Marcus that answered, “Five days.”

Aro tapped his finger against the wood, “Then we will need to be leaving immediately. Summon Jane and Alec. Equipped with the silver daggers, the seven of us should be sufficient.”

Felix and Demetri left to do as they were instructed while Marcus frowned. He hadn't been much of a fighter as of late. As much as Aro wished for the three to complete the endeavor together, he would allow Marcus to sit this one out. If his mind wasn't in it, he would only weigh them down. Aro moved to the weapon cabinet, carefully selecting various daggers to place on the table. He made sure everyone would have at least two. Occasionally he even took three or more for himself and his brothers. The Children of the Moon were tricky beasts to slay. One wrong move and a man could easily be disarmed, and that was always a death sentence. Yes, backups were a requirement when hunting. Especially when engaging them on one of the moons, which was preferred. Their heads and furs made lovely trophies.

Once the twins were present, Aro explained the plan, pointing to the pictures, “This is a very small pack, consisting of six members. My brother and I will dispose of the Alpha and his Beta.”

Aro pointed to the respective photos before continuing, “And you four will be responsible for the remainder. Be swift and be smart for, as you know, brute strength alone will not be enough to kill these animals.”

The picture of the freckled-face woman once again held his attention.

* * * * *

\--Washington, United States--

My chin slipped from my hand, jerking me awake. The text book still laid open in my lap, and the empty spreadsheet was still displayed on my laptop's screen. Record keeping was so boring it could be used as a form of torture. It was easy enough to do, just very tedious and time consuming. Not something I cared for. Ugh, the pitfall of pursuing a business degree. I flipped the book closed, laying it on the table, and stretched. It was just after four in the morning. I was exhausted, but with the moon approaching I wanted to get my days and nights switched up. Better to sleep during the daylight hours so I had the energy necessary for the nighttime hunt. Especially when we were anticipating company.

They thought they were being sneaky, but we could smell a bloodsucker from a mile away. There had been two. Both male. One large and muscular. His cohort, not so much. Dark haired and blond haired. We had watched them just as they had watched us, except significantly more discretely. They would be back. And we would be ready. Taking down the pair would be a piece of cake.

I stood and stretched again before stepping over my copper haired pack mate. Though, I could have stomped on him and he wouldn't have woke. Stuart slept like a fucking rock. I crossed the small room to the shack's rickety door. Pushing it open, I was greeted by the bite of cold night air. It felt pretty great considering our kind regularly had a crazy high body temperature.

My eyes closed as I took a deep breath. Just clean, crisp air. Opening my eyes once again I scanned the trees. I saw a raccoon waddle away from our trash can and another of my pack mates pacing just a bit away. The sculpted physic immediately gave away the Alpha. I approached him without a word.

“It's quiet,” his deep voice boomed after I stopped by his side. I only nodded in response. Aside from loud insects, it was indeed. There wasn't even a breeze to stir the brush. “They'll bring more back with them.”

“I assumed, considering how they were stalking us,” I answered, “the Volturi?”

Glenn's silver eyes flashed in the moonlight, “Yes, most likely. A lot of the bloodsuckers don't even know we actually exist. We're the stuff of legends to them. But the Volturi, they've been hunting our kind for millennia. There's almost none of us left in Europe and Asia.”

“Is that why you're always encouraging us to bite others?”

His expression was grim as he nodded. He switched the topic back to the enemy, “The Volturi fight dirty. It's likely they'll try to ambush us. I'll lead the pack, you'll bring up the rear in case one tries to catch us with our backs turned.”

I nodded. Only three days to go. A growl rumbled in my chest. Bring it on, assholes.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

\--Washington, United States--

The full moon had finally risen.

The Volturi had been careful to stay upwind, so that the pack wouldn't catch their scent too early. Aro also kept them up and back far enough they would avoid being seen but they could still observe. Six large wolves prowled below. A solid white one led the pack, either the Alpha or the Beta. Four others were in the middle, and a solid black one followed a distance behind. He had hoped they would locate the Children before the transformation. It had been something he craved to see. What exactly happens to these humans when they shift forms? He had seen in the thoughts of that Cullen boy how the fake ones changed. But these... They were not shapeshifters like the wolf pack of La Push. These were real Children of the Moon. Aro couldn't help but admire them. Their fur shimmered in the light as they paced. He watched as the werewolves sniffed at the air, the ground, the trees. It appeared they were anticipating company.

Aro's upper lip twitched in annoyance as he shot a glare at Demetri and Felix. Obviously the two hadn't been cautious enough and cost them the element of surprise. No matter. At least they weren't sure when or from which direction the assault would come. Caius looked to him and he shook his head in response. Not yet. The trees were too dense where they currently were. It would be an issue when necessary to dodge attacks. Caius huffed impatiently, and the lead of the wolf pack's head snapped up. The white wolf looked around, then turned to growl softly at it's pack mates. They started to spread out, heading in the direction of the vampires.

Now Aro caught Caius's stare and nodded. Their hand had been forced, thanks to his brother's impatience and carelessness. Caius and the others disappeared instantly, Aro close behind.

* * * * *

The stench of sour earth caught on the wind and the pack bolted forward. There they were. I dug my claws into the dirt but after only a few seconds of sprinting, the wind shifted and I slid to a stop. There was one behind us. Sneaky bastard. I about-faced and tore through the brush. It occurred to me I was probably hauling ass right into a trap but it was too late now. _Kill._ That bloodsucker was mine. I broke through the trees and caught sight of him.

I immediately I hit the brakes, coming to a grinding halt. He did the same. And we just stared. His blood red eyes were disgusting. I watched as different emotions flickered across his facial features. Confusion. Why wasn't I attacking? Buddy, I'd like the answer to that too, believe me. Why wouldn't I move? And why the hell hadn't he attempted to stab me yet? The moonlight glinted off the silver dagger tucked through his belt. Wonder settled over him. He was a bit too interested for my comfort. I bared my teeth and growled. The man was not phased. All of a sudden a second one appeared from nowhere. A blond I hadn't seen before. The dark haired one threw out an arm to stop his companion.

“Wait,” he said. The newcomer looked bewildered, “For what, brother? To have our faces ripped off?”

They didn't even look remotely close to being related. The first man squinted at me in uncertainty, “Something is different about this one.”

He reached out a hand and took a few careful steps closer. Judging from the look on the blond's face, we were having the same thought: what the fuck was he doing?

A bit closer. The man smiled at me nervously, still keeping his hand outstretched. A warning growl rumbled through my chest. But he didn't stop. With one final step, he ran his fingers through the fur just above and between my eyes. Was he seriously petting me? His smile turned more confident, “There. Good...girl? From the color of your coat I assume you are the Beta?”

I snapped my teeth and he quickly retracted his hand. He looked me up and down, “You're a rather impressive specimen, aren't you?”

The wheels in his mind were turning and I didn't like it. I snarled and he took a few steps back, but never took his eyes off me. But I was still all bark and no bite. For whatever reason I was incapable of attacking, despite how badly I wanted to tear that smug smile from his face.

“Yes, how fascinating you are, indeed,”

The blond rolled his eyes, “Perhaps you should see if she'll sit or fetch?”

I took a few bounds toward him, but the other man's sharp voice made me freeze, “Stop!”

We exchanged death glares as the dark haired one hummed in satisfaction. A hand stroked my back as he stepped back into my field of vision, “Oh yes, do I have plans for you, my pet.”

He turned to look at his brother. The last thing I remembered was him returning his sinister gaze to me.

* * * * *

Aro stood over the unconscious wolf. Caius approached rapidly, seething, “Do you have a death wish, brother?”

He stared at the creature with admiration, “No. But I'm not about to let such a perfectly presented opportunity escape me.”

“You cannot keep it, Aro!”

Since when was he the mind reader? He pouted, “Consider it, dear Caius. What better weapon for us to possess than one designed specifically for destroying our kind? Consider how it would tip the odds in our favor should there be another uprising.”

The blond looked thoroughly disinterested, “Are you quite finished?”

Aro said nothing more, so the blond spoke again, “Have _you_ considered, brother, what could happen should your pet break free? Should you fail to keep it under control?”

Aro was silent for a moment before changing the topic, “What of the remainder of the pack?”

“Exterminated,” Caius answered, but wasn't about to be thrown so easily, “As _that one_ needs to be. It is not returning to Volterra with us, brother.”

Aro frowned. It was truly a sadness to waste such potential.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

\--Volterra, Italy--

Holy shit did my head hurt.

I rolled onto my back. The icy stone floor felt amazing on my bare neck. There was a light shuffle and I was suddenly overwhelmed by the smell of dirt. I opened my eyes and lifted my head just enough to see over my chest. That dark haired man stood in the corner staring at me with a slight smile, “Good morning, dear Lorna.”

“That's Miss Fitzpatrick to you,” I laid my head back on the floor for a moment before looking at him again, my nose crinkled in repulsion, “I didn't sleep with you, did I?”

He was clearly taken aback by the question, not understanding how it was relevant. Or realizing that I was screwing with him. He finally answered, “No, you did not.”

“Thank Artemis,” I laid back on the floor, smirking to myself at the brief flash of insult I had caught in his eye. Now I propped myself up on my elbows, “So who the hell are you and how do you know my name if you didn't get to yell it during sex?”

The man held the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. Hopefully I hadn't broken him already. He seemed like so much fun. I wondered if he regretted his decision to kidnap me yet.

“You push your luck, my dear.”

I snorted, “You think I'm afraid of you?”

Suddenly, he was right in my face, his voice a threatening whisper, “The guard and I killed your friends. You'd be wise to fear me.”

“No, 'the guard' killed them. You, my not friend, were too busy gawking at me and killed no one. Also, just because we were in the same pack doesn't mean they were friends. I actually couldn't stand any of them.”

Red eyes narrowed and I could tell he was debating whether or not it would be appropriate to strike me. So I egged him on, “Feel free to give it a try.”

He smiled, “Cute, my dear. Perhaps you'd like to see what a real mind reader can do?”

The man held out his hand. I slapped mine into it, “You bet!”

Holding my hand tightly, he bowed his head and concentrated. His brow furrowed. I snapped the fingers on my other hand, “Oh, that's right. Us Children of the Moon are immune to your kind's silly mind tricks.”

He tore away and retreated to the opposite corner. He was pissed. Good. I yawned, “So, if you're not going to tell me what your name is, do I get to guess? Richard? Michael? Sir Gilbert of Douchebag-ville?”

“Language, my dear,” he said through a forced smile, his fists clenching and releasing. He was going to kill me yet. I'd be fine with that, I suppose. Anything would be better than being caged up by a bloodsucker. After a stretch of silence I spoke again, easing up just a bit, “You know my name. Which I assume you learned from those incompetent morons you had stalking us. Don't you think I deserve to know the name of the man who thinks he can tame me? You're obviously one of the Volturi leaders. So which one are you?”

“Aro, my dear.”

“Will you stop calling me that?”

“No,” he smirked as he approached me again, his hand in the pocket of his jacket, “I have a gift for you, _my dear_.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere.”

The item he offered me only made me want to slap him. It was a fucking dog collar, complete with a round silver tag that read, “Lorna”.

“Oh, aren't we funny. I'm not wearing that.”

“You will,” he smiled in satisfaction, “may I remind you whose home you are in?”

“May I remind you who is here against her will?”

He reached forward, fastening the strap around my neck, “You will do well to remember to whom you belong.”

I rolled my eyes, “You think that's you, right? You go ahead and keep telling yourself that.”

Without another word, he turned and retreated from the cell. A heavy lock thudded closed behind him.

Asshole.

* * * * *

I had no real concept of time in my prison. No window. Absolutely nothing to do. But I imagine a few hours, at least, must have passed before he returned. That smug grin plastered to his face, hands behind his back. I could smell it, but couldn't resist toying with him again, “Another present for me? I hope it's a leash, I could use a walk.”

“Later, my dear,” he replied, “I thought that I should feed you first. Here.”

He tossed a large slab of raw meat toward me; it hit the floor with a slap. I just stared at him, “You think you're being funny, but that's an actual we do. Not typically off the floor but hey, beggars can't be choosers.”

I sat on the floor cross legged, pulling the hunk of bloody beef closer and taking a large bite from it. Keeping my eyes on the bloodsucker as I chewed dramatically. Aro cringed but kept the smile firmly in place. I swallowed and licked the blood from my lips, “You haven't told me why I'm here and why you haven't killed me. Or why I haven't killed you. Am I going to be stuck in this damn dungeon the entire time? You really should better care for your pets, Sir Gilbert.”

The look on his face said, “please stop talking”. His lips said, “You are here to do as you are told, my dear. Living arrangements will be reconsidered once you've proven your loyalty to me.”

“I mean, we are known as man's best friend for a reason. Hey, can I get a flea collar, too? Feels like something's biting at me. Oh, and don't forget I also need water. Or the blood of your buddies. That would be fine, too.”

He turned to leave.

“Seriously though, I need water.”

Aro nodded and slipped out the door, locking it again. A few moments later one of his goons came with water and a blanket. And to my surprise, the water was in something other than a dog bowl! At first I thought it was cute he thought I required something to keep me warm. Then I realized he probably meant for me to use it as a makeshift bed. That I found weird. How dare he be considerate of me, his enemy, without being told. But I wasn't going to refuse. I folded the blanket neatly into the corner and laid on it, yawning. I wasn't really tired, but there was nothing to entertain me. So I closed my eyes and thought.


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

“Back again, huh? Just can't get enough of me, can you?”

This guy literally came to see me like eight times a day. It was rather obnoxious, actually. Aro pushed the door closed and stood in front of it, “It would seem so. May I have a serious conversation with you?”

“No.”

He stared at me in annoyance. I shrugged, “You honestly expect I'd have a serious conversation with a man who insisted I wear a dog collar?”

“Not even to negotiate living accommodations?”

I waved a hand at him, “Nah, I kinda like it here. Gives me time to dwell on how much I hate you for kidnapping me and killing the one real friend I had.”

The man folded his arms across his chest, “If I recall correctly, you stated you couldn't stand any of them.”

“Well, I lied,” my tone turned sarcastic now, “I'm sure that's a concept you're completely unfamiliar with, yes?”

Aro answered by narrowing his eyes. I never intended to tell him what I was about to, “Though, I suppose I should thank you. You also did me a favor by taking out the Alpha. I hated him for what he did to me.”

“For infecting you, you mean?”

I pressed my lips into a line, “I wish that was all I meant.”

He gazed at me expectantly, waiting for clarification I wasn't sure I wanted to give him.

“We'll just say Glenn claiming me as his Beta was a nightmare. Leave it at that.”

The bloodsucker frowned. Why the hell was he frowning? Considering his hatred for humans and for Children of the Moon, I couldn't imagine why my history would impact him in any way. He then asked the question I hadn't wanted him to, “What does claiming a Beta entail?”

I groaned as I covered my face, “Claiming a mate, essentially. And it does not have to be a mutual agreement. Interpret that as you'd like.”

Now his brow furrowed.

“Can you stop pretending to care? You're creeping me out.”

He sighed and shook his head, taking a few steps closer. He tugged up the legs of his pants before crouching beside me. Didn't this guy believe in personal space? Apparently not, as he reached out to touch my face. I slapped his hand away.

“I will be running with you during the next moon. I wish to observe-” Yeah, I bet you do, I thought, “and I want to be sure you don't disappear. Assuming you mind your master, I will allow you to lodge in a more appropriate room.”

“And the catch is?” I wasn't stupid. It was obvious in his tone there was more to it.

“You will be sharing living quarters with myself.”

There is was. And why was I not surprised by it? Without missing a beat, I asked, “So, you do want in my pants, then?”

He stared at me, expressionless. I cringed, “Please say, no.”

“No.”

“No, you won't so no, or, no, you don't want me in the worst kind of way?”

“To one of them,” he answered cryptically before standing again. Ew. My nose wrinkled in disgust, “You go ahead and keep dreaming, pal.”

Aro left without another word.

* * * * *

After his visit with the girl, Aro retreated to his private study to process what he had learned. According to her, the Alpha's second in command was, more or less, the person they wished to mate with. Glenn had chosen Lorna. She despised him for it. It also didn't have to be mutual... Had Glenn forced Lorna into being his partner?

The man bristled at the thought and he wasn't sure why. He rummaged through one of his drawers, retrieving the folder containing the pack's photos Demetri and Felix had gathered. Pulling the one he sought, he held in front of him to examine again. The bald man wore no expression. No indication he would be capable of such a thing, other than his build. As he stared, however, he felt a strong burning in his chest. Anger. This man made him furious, thinking about what he potentially had done. Why, though? That's what he didn't understand. Why did it get to him so? Humans were worthless and the Children of the Moon were the bane of his existence. What made this one different? Aro held Lorna's photo next to it and stared at her. All his thoughts tugged at him, wanting for him to go back to her. To get more answers. Just be near. But why did it even matter? He threw everything back inside the drawer and slammed it shut.

* * * * *

“Seriously, why don't you just put a rope on me and take me with you? You'd probably get more accomplished that way,” I asked when I saw who was entering my cell, “Didn't you _just_ leave?”

“I did, but I need to know-”

“No, you don't _need_ to know anything. And I thought I made it clear I didn't want to discuss it, especially with you?” I was beginning to lose my temper with him. Though, I suppose I only had myself to blame for even bringing it up. But I also hadn't expected to give it another thought.

“I do wish to speak about it.”

I snorted, “Well, as long as _you_ want to talk about it, then it's fine.”

His expression said he wasn't in the mood for games. Tough shit. The dark haired bloodsucker asked, “What exactly happens with the Alpha takes a Beta?”

“Do I have to spell it out for you?” the look he gave me said that yes, apparently I did, “The Alpha's word is law. And it's especially true with the person they choose as their mate. It's not like that weird, imprinting thing the shapeshifters do where neither of them have control and they're magically soul mates. He picked me, for some God awful reason, and I was bound to him. If he told me to jump, I would, whether I wanted to or not. I think what you're trying to find out is, did he use that to his advantage in more private aspects of his life? Yes, he did. No, I'm not traumatized by it. Just pissed off I never got a choice. Happy now? Good, because I have a question of my own now. Why the fuck do you even care?”

What even possessed me to tell him any of this? Had whatever anomaly not happened between us, he would have slaughtered me with the rest of the pack. His eyes were locked to mine, a strange emotion on his face. His hand twitched before he spoke, “I do not regret ordering the Alpha's demise.”

I gave a thumbs up, “Great, I don't regret you ordering his demise, either. That stupid hold he had on me broke the instant he was gone. Tell your buddy thanks for that. Now will you please leave? Trying to sleep.”

Aro didn't budge.


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

\--Volterra, Italy--

“I apologize for the lack of a bed, currently,” Aro had been saying as he led me into his personal quarters. I stopped dead in my tracks, “You're apologizing now for no bed? I've been sleeping on a cold, wet dungeon floor for a week and a half.”

He ignored me, “I will see to it that one is brought in.”

“I mean, if you're trying to get laid-”

“As for the rules,” he spoke louder, “You will not leave this room-”

“This specific room? But there's like three other rooms here.”

“You will do as you're told,” he continued. Dang, he was making this hard for me today, “You will behave. Or I will return you to the dungeons.”

“Fine.” I agreed and flopped down on one of the couches. He stared at me. It was kind of creepy.

“Draw me like one of your French girls,” I said as I propped myself up on an elbow, not expecting him to get it. He smirked, “I could. Though, I believe that would involve a few less articles of clothing.”

“Ew,” I let myself fall onto my back, lacing my fingers together and closing my eyes. After a moment I looked at him again, “Do you really draw?”

“Occasionally,” he answered, taking a seat on the couch opposite me, “I have much spare time on my hands.”

“I can imagine.”

He gazed at me, the look that suggested his mind was working on something. I stared back at him expectantly, “You gonna ask your question or can I take a nap?”

“What's the transformation like?”

“Well,” I thought, “I start off as a person, and then I turn into a giant wolf.”

Aro narrowed his eyes. Obviously that was not the answer he was seeking. I shrugged, “Didn't you say you'll be with for the next moon? You'll get to see it then. More than just the change, even, lucky you.”

I wondered how long it took to reach the end of his patience. You'd think I would be getting close to it by now. He smiled, then stood and disappeared through one of the other doors. I yawned and stretched out, falling asleep in moments.

* * * * *

“So, how is your pet fairing?” Caius asked with disdain. He had said no to bringing the werewolf back to Volterra with them. Not only was it, well, a werewolf, it was just a bad idea. If it got out, there would be chaos. A building full of vampires with a monster built specifically for destroying them.

“Well,” Aro answered, quickly flipping through different books, “Though, her smart remarks are grating.”

Marcus smiled slightly.

“What of her transformations? Will the dungeon be able to contain her?” Caius pressed. Aro brushed it off, “I will be taking her out of the city for the full moon.”

Caius rubbed his forehead, “And what happens if she runs?”

“She won't,” Aro sounded confident. The blond shook his head, “You need to just put it down, Aro. I don't understand your sudden interest.”

Aro tone turned stern, “I will not. I have her under control, brother. You need not worry.”

Caius shook his head once more but let the conversation end. His opinion was biased due to his first encounter with one. He had barely escaped. And Aro understood, they were viscous creatures. Relentless. They would chase a vampire cross country, their prey drive compelling them to kill. Aro wondered how Lorna had been capable of resisting the desire to kill him. And Caius, for that matter. She had lunged for him, but stopped at Aro's command. Peculiar, indeed.

He had spent the week searching for all the information he could gather on the Children of the Moon. Most of it was old myths and legends, of course, but there's often some amount of accuracy to them. Silver being their weakness was one of them. Children of the Moon could not change forms at will; and transformed twice a month, not just once. On the new and full moons. He also found that the infection also left women sterile. The stress of the transformation would force the body to otherwise abort. He flipped a few more pages. The change was supposedly very painful, involving the breaking and reforming of many bones. But it was also quite quick, happening in mere moments. Though, one piece of information he came across he knew to be false. Or, he was confident he did. It was said werewolves primarily hunted humans. A myth to explain the killings in towns and villages that, funny enough, were actually caused by vampires.

But none of it was what he was seeking. He moved on to another tome. And another. Finally, he found what he was looking for. If he meant for his pet to be a reliable weapon, transforming twice a month would be no good. She needed to be able to shift at will. And it appeared he found the information he needed. Moonstone. What was a beautiful gem to most was a powerful aid to a werewolf. Harnessing the energy of the moon itself, the stone aided in their changes, allowing them to change when worn. Supposedly. There was only one way to find out.

Aro snapped the book shut.

* * * * *

The sun was beginning to set.

Aro led me to a forested area about three miles from Volterra. We hid among the trees as we waited, a stupid grin plastered to his face. It was beginning to make me feel quite uncomfortable.

“You know, a watched pot never boils,” I told him. He looked confused, so I clarified, “Staring at me isn't going to make me change faster.”

“I know, my dear. I'm simply eager.”

I bet you are, buddy. As it turned out, my comment had been ill timed. Not even ten minutes later I began to feel the familiar tingle crawl through me, and anxiety swelled in my chest. I took a few deep breaths. I always hated the change.

“Show time,” I announced. I turned my back to him, reaching down and hooking the bottom of my t-shirt. I began to pull it up and I'm pretty sure I heard his breath catch momentarily. Turning slightly, I threw it to him, “Hold this, would you?”

He caught it, not bothering to take his eyes off me. My shorts were next, quickly followed by my panties. On a normal transformation night I usually didn't bother wearing any kind of underwear. I did it this time just for him. It was so much fun trying to get under his skin. Though, I didn't check to see how he reacted.

I ignored him completely now as I rocked my head, rolling out my shoulders. Being tense only made the pain that much worse. My body trembled slightly and I began to pant as the moon pulled at me, coaxing out the beast. It happens so quickly that most people would only see a wolf explode from a human body. With the eyesight of a vampire, Aro would, no doubt, get to witness every single moment.

Bones popped as they shifted, elongated. The spine stretched into a tail. Skull shifting to form a snout. Everything growing larger. Human teeth were lost and replaced by ones much sharper. Fingernails were replaced by steel-like claws. Pitch black fur swept across my skin. I whined, a very canine sound. On all fours, I shook the blood from my coat. And then sneezed. An impressive finish to such a dramatic event. Aro approached quickly, smile wide as possible. He reached out and stroked the fur down my back. Seriously, I'm not a fucking dog! Stop petting me!

“Magnifico,” he said. I forced a breath through my nose in response. Then, I turned my snout to the sky and sniffed. The stench of rotten dirt was strong, tainted by the man standing beside me. But, I did catch a whiff of something else and began to trot in that direction. Aro easily kept pace, remaining at my side. I snapped my teeth at him. My way of telling him to keep back and follow behind. Despite being unable to physically read my mind, he was still smart enough to take a hint. As I broke into a run, he pursued at a much slower speed.

The scent of my prey grew stronger as I got closer. Not much farther. I broke through the trees and sunk my teeth into its neck. Hot, sticky fluid spurted from the wound and it cried out, thrashing. But its struggle was short lived and it quickly succumbed to the injury. Aro caught up a few moments later. He shook his head, bemused, placing his fits against his hips, “I desire to see your gift at work, and here you are hunting down a snack.”

I grunted my reply as I pulled at the flush of the roe deer's wound, chomping loudly. He folded his arms across his chest and waited for me to finish. Then, I found a nice patch of dirt to roll in, followed around a porcupine, took out a wild boar and ate that too. All the while Aro watched with a smirk, shaking his head. What did he expect? There isn't always a bloodsucker around to rip apart, we had to entertain ourselves somehow.

And then he suggested testing my speed.

We flew across the countryside, weaving around trees, darting across open fields. Turns out we were pretty evenly matched at speed. I didn't care much about trying to win some race, though I was just happy to have some room for a good run. As it began to approach sunrise, we headed back toward Volterra, him commanding that I follow. I growled at him, but did as I was told.

The change from wolf to person happened just as quickly. And wasn't any less painful. I crouched as I waited for the pain to subside, keeping my knees to my chest. Aro immediately appeared at my side, wrapping his suit jacket around me to keep me covered, I assumed. He gathered me in his arms and carried me the remainder of the trip back.


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

\--Volterra, Italy--

I stretched, the movement causing the bottom of my shirt to rise, allowing the cool air access to my lower abdomen. Folding my arms behind my head, I opened my eyes. Aro was seated across from me, staring, looking more rigid than usual. It was then that I remembered I went to bed in only the shirt and underwear.

“You alright over there?”

He blinked, then smiled, “I'm fine, my dear.”

He looked back at the book he was writing in. I sat, “You keep a diary?”

“I'm recording my observations.”

“So, you're writing an erotic novel?”

His pen stopped, tapping against the paper, and his smile shifted as he looked up. His expression said, 'I'm trying hard not to kill you right now'. “Not that observation.”

I stood, pulling my shirt back down to cover myself, “What ones, then?”

“The transformation process,” he answered as he resumed his work again, “Your behaviors.”

“Liked that, did ya?” I shouted from the bathroom, running water for a bath. There was no point in closing the door. Trapping in the heat wasn't necessary. With a consistent body temperature of one hundred and five degrees, I wasn't likely to get cold. And that thin piece of wood wouldn't keep the bloodsucker out if he badly wanted in.

“It was rather amusing.”

Considering how often he treated me as a dog, I had done it deliberately. Previously, when there were no vampires around, I'd typical find somewhere for a nap or just run. Which reminded me, “By the way, my food bowl is empty.”

I stripped, leaving nothing but the damn dog collar. Aro must have replaced it at some point after I crashed. It was alright, I supposed. He could entertain the idea that he had some kind of claim on me if it made him feel better. I slipped into the hot water, sinking in as far as possible.

“Would you prefer raw or cooked?”

...What? He hadn't bothered to ever ask before. I had always received slabs of still bleeding meat. Often just off the floor, even. I squinted in confusion, “Are you sure you're feeling alright?”

“Yes, my dear. I will return shortly.”

That was weird. The entire situation was weird, to be honest. Starting with the fact I lacked the overwhelming desire to kill the man. I had, when I first caught his scent. And then, when I found him and was ready to attack, it up and fucking vanished. He obviously did have some kind of hold over me. When I attempted to get his buddy, he had commanded that I stop and I did. Like the thought of killing the blond douchebag was suddenly abhorrent. But his slightly shifting attitude toward me was a good thing, really. The sooner he trusted me, the sooner I'd be allowed the chance to escape.

I heard the door open and close when he returned. The aroma of raw protein hit the air. My stomach growled, now more hungry than I had been. I pulled the plug, got out, and wrapped a towel around myself. On the small table in the main room sat a plate with chunks of raw pork and some random fruits. I sat and popped one of the cubes of meat in my mouth. And then I noticed Aro looking at me in disapproval.

“What?”

“You're not dressed.”

Thank you for stating the obvious, “I'm covered. Like you don't want to see it.”

He shook his head, going back to writing. The constant lack of a reaction worried part of me. “I've noticed you never deny it.”

Aro closed the book, allowing it to rest on his lap, “Assume what you'd like, my dear. I'm not the one currently wearing only a bath towel.”

He smiled, stood, and retreated to his study. It was still not a denial. I wish he'd deny it. Well, part of me did. Wait, what? All of me should want him to deny any attraction to me. A werewolf and a bloodsucker? Ew. We're supposed to hate each other. I do hate him. His eyes were creepy. He smelled like dirt. The thought of him touching me was gross. But yet... Nope, not going there. I hate him. I can't wait to make a run for it.

And he was not supposed to have smart comebacks.

* * * * *

Aro sat at his desk. This girl was infuriating at times. Had anyone else spoken to him in such a manner, he'd have torn their head from their shoulders. For some reason he lacked that desire with her. As obnoxious as her smart remarks were at times, there was also a slight entertainment to them. She was trying to push him. Into what, he wasn't sure. Perhaps she was hoping to provoke him into attacking, so that she would have a reason to react. Though that seemed to be a fruitless effort. If she was going to kill him, she would have done it that evening in Washington. But she had halted as abruptly as he had, as if impossibly heavy weights had chained him down. The action had felt wrong somehow. She had to have felt it, too.

As far as feelings went, he didn't quite understand hers. Her attitude toward him made it clear she disliked him greatly. Which was expected. It was in a werewolf's nature. They were, after all, designed to destroy his kind. Of course they would be wired to despise vampires. Yet, in spite of that... She put her body on display for him. He shifted in his chair as the thought of her on the couch resurfaced. Stretched before him, her toned lower abdomen showing. The curve of her hips. The low cut waist of her undergarments.

He stood now, his trousers growing uncomfortably tight. This undeniable attraction to her, he didn't quite understand that either. She had only been in his company for two weeks. Most of that time she had spent in a cell in the dungeon. But she had constantly been on his mind. He had thought it was a simple fascination with her. One of the Children of the Moon added to his collection, so to speak. A perfect opportunity to study them up close. Learn everything he possibly could about her, from her. But the more she teases him about wanting her body, the more he realizes... She's absolutely correct. His physical attraction to her was something he could not deny. But he refused to admit to it, too. At least to her.

With a frustrated groan he undid his belt. His mind was being fuel by the desires of his flesh. He closed his eyes, beginning to stroke himself. It was something he despised doing. But he needed to be freed from these thoughts somehow. A light moan escaped him as he moved his hand faster. He thought of exactly what he wanted from her. Laying on the couch, stretched to reveal her stomach. Playing with his tongue from her naval to the band of her panties. Discarding them. Running his hands, his mouth down the insides of her thighs. Mounting her. A slightly louder sigh crossed his lips as he though of being inside her. Deep in her warmth, her panting beneath him as he thrust into her.

He hummed in satisfaction as he achieved his release. His fluids spurt forth, covering his hand and dripping to the floor. Aro took several deep breaths as he attempted to regain his composure.

He hated what she was doing to him.


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

\--Volterra, Italy--

My head hung over the seat of the couch, my legs up the back, so all the blood should have rushed to my head. Being stuck in this single room all day was fucking boring. Aro being present ninety percent of the time didn't help. As much as he loved to treat me as his pet, he certainly hated when I acted the part. While he was out the other day I decided to destroy one of the cushions. He was quite angry when he came back to a mess of feathers. Which had been the reaction I was hoping for, so mission accomplished. He was such a killjoy.

The asshole entered the room then, as though he had sensed my annoyance at him. He held a hand behind his back.

“Can you not smile at me like that? It's creepy.” Even upside down.

“I have a gift for you, my dear.”

“Lingerie?”

He closed his eyes and shook his head in frustration. He huffed, “No.”

It was so much fun getting him worked up. I brought my feet forward and rolled from the couch, standing in front of him. He presented me with a small black box.

“I hope it's not a ring. I'm not ready for that kind of commitment.”

The man repeated his earlier display of irritation. Inside was a good sized, translucent stone with a blue tint. It was held in a thin wire frame, the front of it twisted to resemble a tree, the side facing in unsupported. A semi-elastic chain was attached to it. “Great! What is it?”

“It's a moonstone,” he answered, sounding a bit too excited. I rolled my eyes, “Of course it is.

I handed the box back to him and dropped back to the couch. He sat next to me, “It will allow you to -”

I made sure my voice was extra thick with sarcasm, “Do you really think a werewolf doesn't know what a moonstone does?”

Aro smiled, but it was meant to be mocking. He removed the bracelet from the box, seizing my wrist and forcing it on, “You will wear this at all times. This evening we will give it a try.”

I gave him a thumbs up, and when his back was turned I flipped him a different finger.

“If you can behave,” he said as he walked toward his study, “I will permit you to spend the afternoon in the courtyard while I'm tending to business.”

“That would be wonderful, Sir Gilbert.”

He reappeared, playing with the buttons on his jacket sleeves, “I expect you won't attract attention to yourself. Should you alarm the tourists or citizens nearby, you will never be allowed beyond these walls again. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Yes, _master_ ,” Aro corrected.

I grit my teeth, “Yes, master.”

* * * * *

The courtyard was small, and there was pretty much nothing in it, but it was better than nothing. I had been running laps around the tight space, pushing myself as fast as I could. And then I got distracted by a sad man who hadn't been there before. I skid to a stop, stumbling slightly as I did so. Judging from his stench, he was definitely a bloodsucker. But there was a slight familiarity to his smell. I whipped my head around to look at him.

“You must be Lorna,” he drawled. I couldn't tell if he was bored or didn't care. I sniffed at the air again, “You're from Aro's coven.”

He nodded, “I am Marcus.”

I vaguely recall Aro mentioning a brother named Marcus, “Do I need to call you 'master' or curtsy or something?”

There was just a hint of a smile, “No. And just Marcus.”

That was good. I wasn't going to call him “master” anyway. I didn't even want to call Aro that, but I was willing to tickle his fancy if it meant freedom. But this vampire offered me nothing. And he was looking at me oddly.

“What?”

Almost a smile, “Nothing. You're just a curious creature, is all.”

Why were they all so weird? Oh well, at least this one seemed relatively friendly for someone of his kind. I stretched my muscles, “So why aren't you with Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum?”

So close. “I don't care much for the goings on of the vampire world anymore. Alas, once Aro makes up his mind, there is no changing it. My input is moot.”

“You don't say?” I replied, trying to keep my sarcasm in check. Just a bit. I totally hadn't noticed that when Caius told Aro he couldn't bring me home and here I am. Akin to a spoiled brat, honestly. “Well, if you want some entertainment, feel free to join us tonight. Aro gave me this stupid moonstone and wants to see if it actually helps me transform of my own free will. I'm sure you'd enjoy it.”

There it was, finally, “I just may do so.”

“Ah, brother,” came Aro's obnoxious voice as he approached, “I see you've acquainted yourself with my pet. And you've even been invited to witness her change.”

“My form, not my clothes.”

Aro's smile twitched and he pretended to ignore me, “We will convene at the back entrance at midnight. I'd like for Lorna to get some rest beforehand.”

“How considerate of you, Sir Gilbert.”

Marcus looked to Aro, confused, who only waved a hand in dismissal. He took my upper arm and tugged me along.

“You know, this would be more effective with a leash.”

“I can certainly arrange for that, if you'd like,” he replied. I snorted, “I bet you could. And I bet you'd enjoy that way too much.”

His grip on my arm tightened in aggravation but he said nothing, like usual.

* * * * *

We met with Marcus at midnight, on the dot, and headed to the wooded area where I'd transformed previously. I opted to keep my clothes on this time, since Aro's brother was present. They'd be destroyed, but it was alright. We just stood among the trees, the two men eyeing me anxiously. I decided to have a little fun and play dumb, “So, how do I activate this thing? Abra kadabra?”

Aro pressed his lips into a line, “I don't think that's how it works, my dear.”

“No shit,” I mumbled and he frowned, “Good thing, too. Otherwise you'd actually be able to force me into transforming.”

I piqued his interest, “The moonstone works, then? How?”

“Wouldn't you like to know.”

“Yes, I would, actually.”

I sighed, “It draws the wolf to the surface. All I have to do is let it out.”

“Then do so, my dear.”

My arms folded across my chest, “Not until you can ask nicely.”

Marcus appeared thoroughly entertained by the banter. It was Aro's turn to sigh, “Will you show me, please, my dear?”

With a smirk I took a few steps back, shaking out my limbs. Both men watched eagerly as I took a deep breath and allowed the wolf to come forward. It erupted from my body, dropping me to all fours. I understood now why Aro had put the moonstone on an elastic band. It accommodated my shift, keeping the stone in contact with my skin as I grew. The white-blue stone was a significant contrast to my pitch black coat. And as painful as the change was, it was slightly less so with the aid of the stone.

Aro stepped forward and I growled. If he pet me one more time... He stopped, but Marcus came toward me, hand outstretched. Marcus could pet me, because Marcus didn't treat me like a damn dog. Aside from petting me, anyway. He muttered something in Italian. Aro looked slightly offended that I denied him but not his brother. Good.

“Since we are out,” he said, putting a smile back on and looking at me, “Shall we have a run?”

I was gonna beat the pants off him this time. Ew, no.


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

\--Volterra, Italy--

Aro hummed in pleasure.

He had taken Lorna to spend some time in the courtyard, claiming he had business to take care of. It had only been a half truth. There had been a matter to discuss with Caius, but that would only require a few moments of his time. No, the truth was he had wanted to be alone. He needed to attend to himself, without fear of Lorna overhearing.

He stroked himself faster.

The woman was making his life hell, and not just in the obvious way. She had a fire he both admired and hated. He could appreciate her sass and unwillingness to be ordered around. It would have done her well in other aspects of her life. But her constant challenging of him, her always smart mouth, grated at him. Hmm, her mouth. He imagined what she could do for him with it. Her tongue running his length, her lips around him tightly. Lightly sucking as she took him in and out.

His nails bit the surface of his desk.

Occasionally, okay, frequently, he would watch her sleep at night. Some of the positions she'd lay in only tempted him further. On her belly, one leg kicked out. It would only be too easy to climb atop her. Push his hands beneath her to cup her breasts. To kiss the back of her neck and shoulder. Bury himself deep in her warmth over and over.

Aro panted and gasped loudly as he reached his climax, his seed spurting into his fist.

He took several deep breaths to calm himself, shaking his head. He didn't understand why this was happening. These desires were something he hadn't felt in nearly two millennia, though he was certainly no stranger to them. He had been fairly promiscuous during his human and early vampire years. Then, because he was the only one who hadn't done so, he decided to take a wife. She took care of him for awhile but he gradually lost interest. And he had been fine going without. It kept his mind clear to focus on more important matters. Now, all of a sudden, these desires had crashed back into him ten fold, it seemed. Why?

He groaned and rubbed at his eyes. He needed to keep control of himself.

* * * * *

He had been surprised to hear her speaking with Marcus as he approached. The thought that the pair would have any interest in one another had never crossed his mind. What was most impressive was that Lorna had extending him an invitation to view her transformation.

“Ah, brother,” he said, stepping into the small clearing, “I see you've acquainted yourself with my pet. And you've been invited to witness her change.”

Without missing a beat, Lorna piped up, “My form, not my clothes.”

Aro clenched his jaw, but didn't let his smile slip. These were the kinds of remarks slowly chipping away at him. In every way possible. He wanted to believe that she did and said these things intentionally. A subtle signal that she echoed his attraction. Enticing him to give in to his desires. Oh, how he wanted to.

But he would not.

“We will convene at the back entrance at midnight,” he spoke as if he hadn't heard her, “I'd like for Lorna to get some rest beforehand.”

“How considerate of you, Sir Gilbert.”

Marcus looked to Aro in confusion. He waved his hand as if to dismiss her behavior. It wasn't something he would explain to his brother. Seizing the young woman's upper arm he led her back inside, to the room they currently shared. Although he was feeling more and more like it had been a poor decision to allow such an arrangement.

* * * * *

Aro watched as she slept and wondered. He wanted to believe she felt attraction to him as well. But did she really? It appeared the lycanthropy infection re-wired their brains, making it impossible to resist the urge to kill. He had seen it plenty of times. It was as though they become mindless monsters after catching a whiff of a vampire. Part of what made them so deadly. Was an attraction enough to break though? Was that what halted her attack?

But she was adamant in her disgust against his kind. Against him. He supposed it could be a facade. The part of him he warred with hoped it was all a show. She felt it taboo and was trying to fight it, just as he was. A vampire and a werewolf. Two incompatible beings, forced to come together. The pull he felt was overwhelming. It was impossible for her to not feel it.

He felt ridiculous right now. Like a school boy from a cliche teen romance. Does she like me? What if she doesn't? How do I make myself more appealing to her? All silly and unnecessary thoughts. He was certain he could have her, if he wanted her. Willing or not. Preferably willing. Though, it would be quite easy to trap her at this moment, as she slumbered deeply. By the time she woke, he could be in a position so that she couldn't refuse. But he wouldn't resort to force... He hoped.

_Control yourself._

Aro stood and swept from the room. The thoughts she provoked were outrageous. Punishing her for it briefly crossed his mind, but she clearly wasn't doing it intentionally, mostly. He sighed. He really hated feeling this way. Like he couldn't get a grip on himself. But he had to.

* * * * *

He was still distracted as the three of them stood among the trees. His anxious thoughts were interrupted by her speaking, “So, how do I activate this thing? Abra kadabra?”

Aro frowned. He had hoped she would somehow have ingrained knowledge of how to access its power, “I don't think that's how it works, my dear.”

“No shit,” she mumbled in her usual sarcastic tone. Normally he would scold her for such language, but completely slipped on this one. She added, “Good thing, too. Otherwise you'd actually be able to force me into transforming.”

So she did know how to use it. “The moonstone works, then? How?”

She snorted, “Wouldn't you like to know.”

Irritation flitted through him, “Yes, I would, actually.”

Now she sighed, giving in, “It draws the wolf to the surface. All I have to do is let it out.”

“Then do so, my dear.”

Lorna folded her arms across her chest, pouting like a child, “Not until you can ask nicely.”

It was Aro's turn to let out a sigh. She was so frustrating. But perhaps she was correct. He should ask nicely, “Will you show me, please, my dear?”

She smirked in satisfaction, taking several steps back so that she had plenty of space. The transformation was almost instantaneous. One moment, Lorna; the next, a pitch black wolf nearly as large as a horse. Aro took moved toward her but she growled. He froze in his advance. His brother took a turn and, to Aro's dismay, Lorna allowed his hand to stroke her back. He tried to remain stone faced, but the amount of pain her refusal of him caused took him by surprise. Try as he may, he was sure his expression betrayed him, at least momentarily. He hoped Lorna hadn't noticed.

He fixed his smile, “While we are out, shall we have a run?”

Lorna yipped in excitement but, not surprisingly, Marcus bowed out, opting to return to Volterra early. That was fine, Aro thought. He was kind of glad for the time alone with her. Knowing how badly she wanted to beat him, he allowed it. Only this once. Joy flooded her anew and she gave him a slight headbutt, her way of bragging. It made him oddly satisfied knowing she was happy. The mood seemed to carry over into her human form as well. Aro draped his cloak around her so that she was concealed and the pair walked back to the city. She seemed more talkative, and not in the usual snide way. He had dared to place an arm around her waist. And she didn't reject it.

Perhaps?


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

\--Volterra, Italy--

This had to be a dream.

The bedroom was mostly dark, the dim light coming from hundreds of those little tea candles. Literally everywhere. Talk about a fire hazard. A trail of rose petals led to the bed, where Aro laid suggestively, only a sheet draped across his naught bits. Did I eat some bad mushrooms or something? I hadn't eaten any kind of mushrooms but... what the actual fuck was happening?

“Come, my dear,” he motioned to me. It was one of those commands I couldn't help but obey.

My feet absentmindedly carried me forward. He sat as I approached, allowing me to straddle him. Goosebumps raised on my skin at his touch. His hands moved lightly from my waist to my boobs. He squeezed them gently, taking a nipple into his mouth. When exactly had my clothes disappeared? As his kissing moved up my chest and neck, my hand descended between us, wrapping around his shaft and stroking him.

What the hell was I doing?

He sighed before locking his lips to mine. After a moment, he stopped me, pulling me closer and up slightly. I could feel the tip at my entrance, and desire surged through me. I wanted him so badly. But why, though? I guided his hard cock inside me and we both gasped at the sensation. He wrapped his arms around my midsection, allowing him to pull up and thrust into me, using the mattress springs to his advantage. Aro panted against my chest. I rocked my hips against him, stimulating my clit as he picked up momentum. We both moaned loudly as we climaxed in unison.

* * * * *

When I woke, it was still dark. Or it was dark again. I rolled so I could sit and instantly jumped, almost off the bed. “I apologize, my dear. I didn't meant to frighten you.”

Aro sat at the foot of the bed, staring at me. There was no sign of the candles or flower petals. And we both had all our clothes on, thank Artemis. “What the fuck are you doing in my room?”

He remained relatively expressionless, “I believe it is my bedroom, actually. Did you have a bad dream?”

“Yeah, you could definitely call it that.”

“Would you like to discuss it?” he asked, an odd edge to his tone. I looked at him, my eyes traveling. They followed the buttons of his shirt, down to his belt. I thought of crawling to him, undoing his pants so I could access him. I shook away the images of me going down on him from my head with a cringe. Obviously I was still hot and bothered from the dream. “No, I wouldn't.”

The creeper moved closer to me, “Are you certain, my dear? Dreams can be incredibly insightful, into one's fears.”

He leaned so that his face was only inches from mine, “And one's desires.”

If this asshole couldn't read my mind, which I knew for a fact he could not, he was doing one hell of a job pretending he was capable. He was even closer now, and for a brief moment, I considered actually letting his lips meet mine. But just as he was about to, I pulled away, “I'm gonna go take a shower.”

I hopped off the bed and his gaze followed me, flustered, “It's three in the morning.”

“What's your point, Sir Gilbert?” I asked, not stopping and not looking at him. I slammed the door shut behind me. I just wanted to scream right now. What was wrong with me?! I ran the water as cold as I could possibly tolerate before stepping in. Aro could use one as well, apparently, just not with me. I had given him shit about wanting me since I was brought here against my will. It was supposed to be just that, teasing. It wasn't supposed to be true! He wasn't supposed to want sex with me and I sure as hell wasn't supposed to want sex with him.

But was that really what it was? I mean, Glenn had demanded it quite often, and it had been awhile since the last time. Maybe I was just horny and since Aro was the only one I was ever around capable of satisfying that urge... That had to be it. I wasn't attracted to him. I didn't want _him_ specifically. I just wanted his dick.

Deep inside, I knew that was a lie.

Fuck.

* * * * *

Lorna had been sound asleep when he slipped in. They had returned just before sunrise. He had helped her to the room and got her into bed before she passed out. These transformations always seemed to completely drain the poor girl. She had slept all day and it was now the following evening. Aro sat quietly at the foot of the bed, watching her.

For a long while, she looked quite peaceful. He watched her breasts rise and fall steadily with her breathing. Splayed on her back, a hand by her head, her lips parted slightly. A stray piece of hair hung across her smooth face. He was tempted to reach up and brush it away. But then she moved, arching her back slightly and sighing. Then she moaned, her face contorting into one he often saw during coitus. She flopped over onto her belly, into that position that drove him wild. That's when he noticed her scent, and a hunger quickly grew within him. Not for her blood, but for her sex. At an intensity he hadn't felt before.

She had to be dreaming of him. Of being intimate with him. She had to be. Aro gripped the bedspread tightly in his fists, every ounce of his strength forced into inaction. But she was so tempting. Already spread for him. She'd be wet, he knew she was. And the more he stared at her and smelled her, the more erect he grew. It was to the point now of being uncomfortable. But he didn't dare move to adjust himself. If he did, he would act. Darting up the bed to take his place between her legs, sliding himself into her hot core. Thrusting until he -

Lorna stirred suddenly, the movement causing him to jerk back into reality. She sat and caught a glimpse of him, nearly falling off the bed from the startle. He spoke without thought, “I apologize, my dear. I didn't mean to frighten you.”

She huffed, “What the fuck are you doing in my room?”

“I believe it is my bedroom, actually,” and his bed, and his woman in his bed. He couldn't stop himself, “Did you have a bad dream?”

She made a face, “Yeah, you could definitely call it that.”

“Would you like to discuss it?” He hoped she would. The opportunity being presented was perfect. He still gripped the blanket. He hoped she wouldn't notice. She looked at him, seemingly lost in thought. Her face seemed to flush, “No, I wouldn't.”

Aro crawled forward, “Are you certain, my dear? Dreams can be quite insightful, into ones fears.”

The man's face was mere inches from hers and getting closer, “And one's desires.”

So close. She held still, as if awaiting his kiss. He leaned into her slowly, attempting to maintain some amount of control over himself. His lips barely brushed hers when she suddenly leapt from the bed, “I'm gonna go take a shower.”

Aro tried to hide his frustration but failed, “It's three in the morning.”

She spoke irritably, keeping her back to him, “What's your point, Sir Gilbert?”

Lorna slammed the bathroom door shut, leaving Aro to stare after her. Perhaps he had been mistaken. It had been obvious what she dreamed of, but, he supposed, he had no way to know for certain it was of him. But her behavior just now...

He must have been correct.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

“My dear, what is it you're doing?”

It had taken him a surprisingly long time to figure out I was under the bed. Literally all day, pretty much. He was gone when I emerged from the shower and when I woke again. Somewhere around lunchtime I crawled under here. And here we were now, at nearly sunset. I thought bloodsuckers were supposed to be such amazing hunters? He was crouched, holding up the bed skirt, looking utterly confused. I wasn't sure what was so complicated about it, “It's not obvious? Hiding from you, Sir Gilbert.”

He made a face, probably as close as he would get to rolling his eyes, and allowed the skirt to fall back into place. Well, that was...kind of boring. I squirmed in the tiny space, rolling to my stomach, “You don't want to know why?”

I knew I wouldn't have to shout for him to hear. Bloodsuckers could hear the wind on the other side of the planet. Slight over-exaggeration, but still. It was pretty damn sharp. Yet, I received no answer. He wasn't being any fun today. I wiggled from my hiding space. Aro had retreated to one of the couches in the main room, an ankle over his opposite knee, writing in his diary again. He didn't acknowledge my presence.

“What's wrong with you?”

The man glanced up at me but still didn't speak, focused on whatever work he was doing. So I tried again, “Blue b-”

“Do not,” he held a finger up in warning. I considered going over and licking it suggestively.

...There was something seriously wrong with me. Admittedly, I was still a little on the warm side from last night and, for whatever damn reason, part of me regretted bailing. The part of me that just wanted sex and didn't care where it came from.

I cleared my throat, “Seriously, what's got you so pissy?”

“Language,” the way he looked at me was strange, “I'd rather not discuss it with you, my dear.”

I flopped onto the couch across from him and stared. Something he'd totally do to me. After a moment, his pen stopped moving, “Did you not just say you wished to avoid me?”

“Eh,” I shrugged, “If you want to get technical-”

“I do not.”

Now he was beginning to make me angry, “Do all men act like this when they get denied?”

He flinched, “I don't know to what you are referring, my dear. What was it I was denied?”

I snorted, “Okay, if we're going to pretend last night didn't happen, then what has your panties in such a twist?”

With an uncomfortable smile, he tapped his pen against the book, “You're trying my patience.”

“You pushed me to the end of mine when you kidnapped me,” I got off the couch and stretched. The gesture raised my shirt above my hips, revealing my low cut underwear and the bit of flesh between there and my belly button. Of course, he stared. He slid his foot down so that his legs were now properly crossed. The reason he did so was obvious, and it was both disgusting and appealing. But mostly disgusting...

...Maybe. A repeat of last nights thoughts began to trickle back. Good thing my body's response was significantly less noticeable. At some point, he began tapping his foot against the air anxiously. I couldn't recall seeing him fidget before. He flipped the journal shut, placing it on an end table before standing, “I believe I'll go have a walk.”

“Sweet,” I said, following him, “I could use one.”

He put a hand up, “Alone, my dear.”

I scoffed, placing my hands on my hips, “Why are _you_ avoiding _me_ if you're not butt hurt about me rejecting you last night?”

Aro's jaw tightened but he kept his smile in place, “Last night was a misunderstanding.”

“Then do clue me in, Sir Gilbert.”

He sighed in frustration as he walked back across the room, toward the door of his study. I, of course, followed him again. He spun around to face me, his gaze lingering on my lips. His tongue darted out slightly, wetting his own. After a painfully awkward stretch of silence, during which I avoided looking anywhere besides his face, he huffed, “I cannot.”

“So, it was such a big misunderstanding that even you don't understand?”

His jawline tensed again, “I understand it perfectly well, my dear.”

“Do you? I feel like you don't.”

The man all but shouted a string of words I didn't even understand. Likely speaking Italian. When he was finished, we stared at each other, completely quiet.

“Wow, you _really_ need to get laid,” I responded calmly.

His hand closed around my throat and I was pinned to the wall. The wolf within me stirred at the challenge. But before I could unleash it, Aro snagged the moonstone bracelet from my wrist and tossed it aside. Suddenly, his mouth was crushed against mine, kissing hungrily. He ground his hips against me, and I could feel him stiffen. I managed to free my face, “What the hell are you doing?”

“Precisely as you suggested, my dear,” he answered, grabbing the backs of my thighs and hoisting me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. He assaulted my neck with his lips and tongue. I shivered, “I did _not_ mean by me.”

He was rock hard, pushed against my crotch. It was a complete lie to say I didn't want him. My body outright ached for him. His breathing stuttered, “My dear, we can do this one of two ways. The easy way, or the hard way. Which would you prefer?”

“Well, neither, but I suppose it depends on what each entails.”

I swear he growled at me as he pressed against me tighter. He inhaled sharply, “You can either participate, or I can have you by force.”

I snorted, “Yeah, good luck with that.”

His full weight crushed me, “My dear, you're fooling yourself if you deny me again. You've made it clear since day one. I know that you desire me just as badly as I desire you. Let us both admit it to ourselves.”

“Would you just shut up and fuck me?”

The man didn't have to be told twice. He let me drop to my feet and tugged my panties down my thighs. Quickly removing his jacket, he practically whipped his belt off and dropped his own pants just as fast. He pressed against me, hands immediately grabbing my ass. I wrapped my arms around his neck and our tongues met. There was a sense of desperation in his kiss. Aro lifted me from the floor once again and shoved himself in my pussy.

Sweet Artemis.

It was instantly satisfying, like a terrible itch finally being scratched. This asshole somehow corrupted my thoughts. I'd catch myself staring at his lips, wondering what they felt like against mine. I'd think about what his hands would feel like as they caressed my skin. And, most disturbingly, how good his dick would feel inside me.

Amazing. It felt amazing.

He was _maybe_ a tad bigger around than average. Enough so that I was tight around him. He thrust up roughly, panting and grunting in my ear, my lower back repeatedly hitting the stone wall. If I didn't heal at super human speed, it would likely leave a bruise. I'd be surprised if it didn't crack the wall. His fingernails dug into the skin of my thighs as he pounded me. Mine raked his back and I moaned, “Holy shit.”

“Language,” he groaned into the crook of my neck, not letting up. I gasped, “Shut up!”

I'm sure anybody remotely close by heard us as we lost ourselves in each other. It made no difference to me if they had. Shit, they could come watch for all I cared right now. His strokes were beginning to slow, deepening. I slapped his shoulder, “Don't you dare cum yet!”

Aro's breaths heaved from his chest as he did just that, burying himself to the hilt, his cock throbbing inside. Still huffing, he rested his head against my chest as he basked in his release. Really? What a typical guy. Only concerned for his own pleasure.

I was really beginning to wonder if maybe he could really read my mind. He dropped me to my feet then, lowering himself to his knees. He pushed one of my legs out slightly and draped my other leg across his shoulder. Before I had time to anticipate it, his tongue worked my clit and I cried out from the pleasure. His hand crept up my inner thigh. Two fingers sank in the mix of our fluids, stroking quickly. I had been so close to orgasm when he had that I didn't require much more attention, especially at this intensity. I did a total guy thing. I held his head in place as my body convulsed and I yelled my satisfaction.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

\--Volterra, Italy--

I stretched, rolling onto my back.

“Buongiorno, mia cara.” His voice was directly in my ear.

The heart attack I had nearly had me falling off the bed. In the entirety of my stay here, not once have I woken up and _not_ been alone in bed. I glared down at him, “What the hell are you doing?”

Aro raised an eyebrow, “Do you not recall our evening?”

“Oh, I recall. Unfortunately.” Started against the wall, then bent over his desk, on one of the couches, and finally we decided to actually utilize the bed. We had been busy pretty much the entire night, for some god awful reason. I wrinkled my nose, “Please put clothes on.”

“I take it you have regrets,” he frowned. I hummed in thought as I got up, “I'm not sure regret is the right word, but yeah, pretty much.”

“For what reason?” Aro sat up so he could see me as he spoke, the sheet falling from his chest. He sounded a bit wounded. I almost felt bad. Almost.

“Well, for starters,” I looked over my shoulder at him as I gathered my clothing, “You're a vampire. Second, I'm supposed to hate you; and you're supposed to hate me.”

“Yet, neither of us do.”

“Yeah, I still haven't figured that one out. Third, I don't appreciate this,” I pointed to the bite mark on my right shoulder. It hopefully would be faded in a day or two, but as of now it still hurt like a bitch. Aro came to stand behind me, his cold finger tracing the red crescents, “I apologize, but I rather enjoyed myself.”

“Really? I couldn't tell,” I swatted his hand away so I could pull a t-shirt on, “Obviously, so did I. Otherwise it would have stopped after the first round.”

His arms folded across his chest, “Then I fail to see where the problem lies.”

I turned to face him, “The problem, you, a vampire, laid in bed with me, a werewolf. Bloodsuckers and Children of the Moon do not have sex with each other! Why have you not gotten dressed yet?!”

Not that it was entirely a complaint. He had an attractive body. Toned, not ridiculously muscular. And he had my absolute favorite feature on a man: chest hair! But if I wanted to maintain my dislike of him, he definitely needed to not be naked. That being said, I tried to keep my gaze locked with his, and not allowing it to follow down his happy trail... His expression said he still wasn't accepting my excuses. He reached up to brush the back of his hand across my cheek, “So our kind doesn't typically engage is such relationships. But we are different, my dear. There must be _something_ between us.”

For a second time, I pushed his hand away, “Yeah, we're both too horny for our own good.”

Aro looked annoyed. And confused. He lifted a hand again, “My dear-”

I pushed it away before he could touch me. That was the last thing I wanted to happen right now. I shook my head, “Don't. Look, it was great and all, but no more.”

Now the man looked mad. But he said nothing and made no further move to make physical contact with me. I stepped into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me without another word. Fuck me.

* * * * *

Caius stalked toward him and Aro already knew what he was upset about. He didn't look up from his book as the blond man approached. Hands slammed on the table beside him, “What the hell was that?”

“I'm not sure what you mean,” was Aro's clipped answer. He didn't really want to have this conversation after the one he just had with Lorna. The woman's words had stung in a way he hadn't expected and they continued to dig at him. He couldn't comprehend it at all. She was nothing to him but a pet, of sorts. Then why did she crawl under his skin so?

Caius growled, “You know well what I'm speaking of, Aro.”

“I do,” he licked his thumb before turning the page, “But, as it's my personal affair, I believe it's none of your concern.”

Caius snorted, “None of my concern? You made it known to nearly everyone in the building, brother.”

“And yet,” Aro narrowed his eyes at the man, “all but you seem to know better than to speak of it. As if you have not made your business with Athenodora known?”

“She is my wife, Aro. A vampire, like us,” Caius replied pointedly. Aro was about to say something else but Caius cut him off, “Have you forgotten what she is? She is not your mate, brother. She is a _werewolf_. We destroy them, not breed with them.”

“Your ill harbored feelings for her kind aside, she is _mine_ and I will do with her as I please,” Aro answered, his tone attempting to convey the conversation was finished.

“To be completely transparent, brother,” Caius continued anyway, “I find it quite disgusting you'd do such a thing. To even speak such nonsense. Do you not comprehend the consequences of your actions?”

Aro suppressed a grimace. What his brother didn't understand, and probably didn't care to, was that Aro didn't understand it any better than he did. At first, the thoughts had repulsed him as well. A Child of the Moon, a monster more than he. A mindless beast. Merciless killer, of his kind and humans. And for what? Werewolves didn't feed on them. Any that were unfortunate enough to cross paths with a newly changed wolf would be slaughtered, simply because the creature lacked control. Not that he typically pitied the humans.

Lorna, however, has turned out to be so different. He had a strange fascination with her he couldn't quite place. He had felt it immediately, and so had she. He knew she did. For so long Aro and Caius had thought of werewolves as only animals, they both seemed to have forgotten they were also still people. And the person that Lorna was...was interesting, to say the least. Though she was incredibly disrespectful and he did not appreciate her challenge of his authority, she was also quite cunning and strong willed. Qualities he admired. Under her snide remarks was a deep intelligence and determination. Not to mention she was rather attractive in a very ordinary way. He had found himself wanting to be close to her.

But, the more he was close to her, the more he desired to be _close_ to her. He wanted to follow her curves with his hands. Taste her full lips. To claim her as his. He struggled to keep such thoughts away. Was there something wrong with him? He had been determined to resist the urges. If he gave in, all it would become is a distraction. Well, more so than it had been already. And then, the young woman pushed him far enough he no longer cared. Now that he'd had her, he didn't want to stop. He was addicted to the feeling of her body against his. But...

Aro sighed, “Regardless, this discussion is moot. Such activities will not be happening again.”

* * * * *

“Harder!” I gasped.

Aro hooked an arm under my leg, pushing my knee to my chest, as he pounded me with more force. He literally growled like an animal.

“If you bite me again, I _will_ kill you.”

He seemed to ignore me, too consumed by his primal desires. Couldn't say I blamed him. The man didn't even chide me when I moaned, “Oh, fuck!”

I had told him I regretted it. That I wasn't going to allow it to happen again. I had meant it at the time. And then I sat alone the entire day, and thought. Even if I didn't like him, which I couldn't say for sure was a true statement, the sex had been too good. His touch was like a drug and I needed more.

He had walked through the door without even seeing me. For a vampire, he sure was awful at keeping track of his prey. I understood now why his meals were always delivered to him. He had turned around just in time for my hands to meet his chest, shoving him across the room. The man landed on the floor on his back and, before he had time to recover, I had straddled his waist, pinning his wrists to the floor. At first he glared at me, probably thought about killing me. Until he noticed the way I looked at him. He raised his head to meet my lips, our tongues dancing. I let go of his hands so that I could yank off his tie, roughly pull open his shirt. And he tugged at the button of my jeans.

Aro rolled, forcing me beneath him. He gave up trying to be nice and just ripped the clothing from me. Which was fine, as I did the same to him. I didn't wait for him to come to me. I was too hungry. My hands on his waist, I pulled at him as I lifted myself to him. His erection slid into me and we both shuddered. He rolled his hips quickly against mine and I gasped with every stroke.

“Harder,” I whispered in his ear, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck. He obliged, and my fingernails dig into his shoulders. With a low growl, he thrust faster, our bodies rocking together.

“Harder!” I gasped. And that's where we were now. That's also how I discovered I was much more flexible than I had thought. My leg had been draped over his shoulder, my thigh nearly touching my breast. That, combined with just how rough he was being, would probably have seriously injured me had I been an average human. I arched into him, extending my neck. His mouth was on it instantly, kissing and nipping at the skin.

“Fuck,” I moaned again. Almost there.

“Language,” he muttered into the crook of my neck. I was about to tell him to shut up but his change in pace distracted me. He ground his hips against mine and I was done. Pleasure crashed over me as my pussy tightened around him, each of his strokes coaxing more for me. Until it was too much for even him. He huffed loudly as he released, his body shaking. Aro relaxed against me, and geez was he heavy, with his head against my chest. We laid together on the floor, basking in our shared satisfaction. Me trying to catch my breath. Him nuzzling against my throat. As much as I hated to admit it, so I tried my best not to, something about the entire thing felt...right. The realization instantaneously made me fidgety.

“Aro.”

“Hmm?”

“Get off me.”

He put his hands against the floor and pushed himself up and onto his knees. I sat up, stretched, and pat him on the cheek, trying to maintain my usual demeanor, “Thanks for that! We should do it again sometime!”

I stood and went to locate another pair of pants and a shirt. For me, not him. He could get his own shit. He watched me closely, “I believe this morning you said-”

“Forget what I said this morning,” I pulled a tank top over my head, “But we do need to be clear about one thing, though.”

“And that would be?”

I turned to face him, “This isn't anything more than what it is.”

Never mind that I wasn't even entirely sure what the hell this even was. But for now I was going to pretend that we both just really wanted to sex each other up. There was, obviously, something between us, as he had said. And, also obviously, it was definitely physical. Which was more than it should have been but absolutely was not going to amount to anymore than that.

“Of course, my dear.”


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

\--Volterra, Italy--

My paws thundered against the ground as I gave chase. He weaved easily in and out of the trees, sliding gracefully under a low hanging branch. I slipped through the space just as easily. He was just ahead of me now. I pushed myself to the max, almost close enough to grab his cloak. Suddenly, he took a sharp right, nearly causing me to run head first into a tree. Almost. Rather than stop and lose momentum, I pushed off of the trunk with all four paws, arching my path out further.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw I wasn't there. His steps faltered for only a moment as he decided what to do. The man sprinted onward with a burst of renewed speed. Good on him for making the smart decision. Usually they stopped or slowed considerably in an attempt to relocate their pursuer. I continued to give him a wide berth, watching. Once I could predict his path, I would cut him off.

He nimbly leaped across a river. I bounded across smoothly. My claws bit the earth as I pressed ahead. This man had to be stopped before he made it to town. It seemed he was traveling a relatively straight line now, save for dancing around trees and other obstacles. How predictable. I lunged. He changed directions. I crashed into a tree, snapping it in half and it fell to the ground loudly. I rolled, using the momentum to get back to my feet and continue forward.

Easily, I caught up to him and lunged again. And again, he switched trajectory, but not quickly enough. My teeth snagged his sleeve. I didn't keep a hold of him, but the action slowed him down and, when I leaped again, I took him with me to the ground. We rolled once, then he was pinned on his back, my heavy paws on his shoulders. I snarled directly in his face.

He smiled, “Well done, my dear.”

Just to be an asshole, I licked his face, leaving a visible trail of slobber. For a moment he was frozen in a cringe. I yipped before backing off him. Aro quickly got to his feet, taking the sleeve of his cloak to dry his cheek, “The sun will begin to rise soon. Shall we?”

He turned around to find me flopping in a patch of dirt. He shook his head, “Come, my dear.”

I scrambled to my feet, trotting after him. Oddly, he was walking rather leisurely. He reached out to pet my head as I arrived at his side, “I do wish Caius would be more accepting of you. You show such promise.”

I groaned, rolling my head. Aro continued with a sigh, “He isn't too pleased with either of us at the moment.”

Not surprising. Considering his hatred of me and my kind I'm sure the douchebag was outright livid that Aro and I were fucking each other. Next time I'd make a little extra noise, just for him. Aro smiled, “We have been monitoring suspicious activities. Demetri has been tracking a member of the coven we believe to be involved, and we will be confronting him soon. You will be coming with me, whether Caius approves or not.”

Oh boy, a road trip with dumb and dumber. That should be exciting. I huffed through my nose. We walked in silence after that. Occasionally he would look down at me, that creepy smile still firmly on his face. I tried to ignore him. His attitude toward me continued to shift and it was starting to worry me. What was worse, every time I was around him, every time I slept with him, my own feelings of dislike slipped a little further. I found I didn't hate him nearly as much as I wanted to. I wasn't even sure I wanted to attempt an escape anymore... Wait, what the fuck?

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon when we arrived back at Volterra. Aro held me close, an arm around my waist to support me, though I wasn't feeling as drained as usual. The excessive amount of protein he'd been providing me seemed to help more than I had expected. Now I was mostly just tired from being up for over twenty-four hours. Once we were inside his private quarters, I dropped on one of the couches and was out in moments.

* * * * *

Aro leaned back in his chair as he considered the information he had been presented with. There had been no other surge in disappearances since the original ones in Russia. Which was the event that incited the investigation. But, there had still been missing persons reported in other countries, close to the Russian boarder, that were suspicious. Demetri had been able to link them all to a group of four vampires, two of which seemingly up and vanished. But he had managed to track one, a young woman named Daniela, to the northern part of France.

“We should leave this evening. She shouldn't be allowed the opportunity to escape,” Caius argued. Aro hummed, tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair, “Agreed. Demetri, inform Felix of our planned departure. The five of us and Lorna will-”

“No,” Caius spat, “That dog is not coming.”

Aro narrowed his eyes, “She is. This is exactly what she is here for, brother.”

“I'd beg to differ,” the blond snipped. Aro smiled, but inside he was fuming, “As I told you before, brother, it is my _personal_ affair and it is irrelevant to the situation. She _will_ be accompanying us.”

Caius shook his head and left the room. Aro watched him leave with his mouth pressed into a line. He turned back to the tracker and his remaining co-leader, “As I was saying, we will leave at nightfall. Plan to be away for at least two days, assuming the weather cooperates. We will acquire accommodations as necessary.”

He stood then, and had considered confronting Caius. The man was acting like a child. Aro understood his brother's passionate hatred of them, he did. Caius had almost been mauled by one and lost his second life. They were vile beasts and needed to be put down. Most of them. Lorna was completely unlike the rest. She'd been living among thirty vampires for months. She hadn't harmed any of them. And for Caius to always be trying to use his relationship with her against him was repugnant. Disdain for the species aside, what did it matter if she suffered from lycanthropy? What did it matter if they were involved? Besides, it wasn't as though the pair had a _real_ relationship anyway. They had both agreed it was strictly sexual in nature, and that there wasn't, and wouldn't, be anything more to it.

Correct?

Something about that didn't sit well with him, but that was a concern for a different day.

* * * * *

I had slept maybe an hour or two. During that time, I had dreams of _him_ and things I didn't ever want to consider. And one thing that I knew to be impossible. Which, in turn, made me sad-slash-angry and unable to fall back asleep. All I could say was thank Artemis my bloodsucking lover was incapable of using his “gift” on me.

Since I hadn't attempted to dismember anyone, the leech gave me permission to roam the building. So that's what I did now. And my, wasn't I just tickled to encounter who I did.

“Well, well. If it isn't Aro's pet. I see you've managed to get off your leash,” the blond douchebag said as we approached one another. I pouted, “Oh no, do I detect jealousy?”

He scoffed, “What would I possibly be envious of?”

I shrugged, “I don't know, you tell me. You're the one acting like the butt hurt ex-girlfriend.”

The way he stared at me radiated disgust, “What could my brother even possibly see in you?”

“You know,” I looked thoughtful, “I've been asking myself that same question. Then I realized, he just loves my ass.”

His expression was unreadable now. Somewhere between “what the hell is wrong with you?” and “this is so nasty I want to barf”. Was that even possible for a vampire to do? “Hey, if you're gonna hurl, can I watch? I'm curious to know how that works. Is it just blood? What if you hadn't fed in awhile? Do you just heave up dust?”

The prick attempted to look intimidating, “You do well to mind your tongue, dog.”

I choked back a laugh, “You really think I'm scared of you?”

“I could snap your neck before you blink.”

“Please do try,” I egged him on with a smirk.

It seemed he was about to make a move, but then Aro was suddenly between us. Caius stepped back, practically hissing, “How do you feel anything for this-”

“With his hands,” I interrupted, pushing up my boobs and wiggling my eyebrows. Caius stared with nose wrinkled and mouth open like an idiot. Aro did that thing where he held the bridge of his nose. Did I manage to break them both at once? Aw, they really were good entertainment. After a moment, Caius just turned and walked away.

“Bye, Felicia!” I called after him, but he ignored me. I turned to Aro, “He's fun, we should spend more time together.”

“My brother is upset enough about this as it is,” Aro tried to reason with me. I snorted, raising my voice so the departed asshole could hear me, “He'd be a lot happier if he'd just butt the fuck out!”

No response. I turned back to Aro, who had narrowed his eyes, “He doesn't get laid much, does he?”

“He has a wife, my dear.”

“And that changes what I just said how, exactly?”

His jaw tightened and he appeared pensive for a moment, “His private matters aside-”

“I don't care about them. I don't know why he cares about yours, and I don't know why you let what he thinks about it get you worked up. You're a big boy, aren't you? You really need his permission?”

The man said nothing. Because he knew I was right. Didn't stop him from looking like he wanted to slap the smug smile off my face, though. I moved closer to him, taking his tie and running it through my fingers, “You know who else obviously isn't getting enough?”

He tried to remain stern, “Do not say it's me.”

“I was talking about myself, actually, but now that you mention it-”

“My dear-”

“Fine,” I rolled my eyes, “I'll _try_ not to get him too pissed off. I make no guarantees, though.”

Aro seemed to relax just a bit, lifting his hand to brush his fingers down my cheek. Until I took one in my mouth.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

\--Northern France--

It was for real this time.

I shot through the trees, right on her tail. She glanced over her shoulder to see just how close I was. And that was her mistake. I lunged, colliding with the bloodsucker, pinning her to the ground face first. A snarl ripped through me as I was about to tear her apart. His voice broke through the frenzied haze, freezing me in my actions, “Not yet.”

Aro stepped closer, the rest of the Guard in tow, “Come, my dear.”

With a warning growl I retreated, allowing the woman to jump to her feet. She glared defiantly, “What you want?”

Aro approached her, smiling, “Answers, my dear Daniela.”

He held out his hand, wiggling his fingers. She didn't move, “I don't know what you're meaning.”

It was Caius who spoke now, “We have reason to believe you are involved in an outbreak of newborn vampires. Is this correct?”

“Is this crime?” she asked, raising a slim eyebrow. I had to admit, she was pretty for a parasite. She had sleek, black hair to her lower back. Chiseled cheek bones. Tall and lanky. Playing dumb, which she couldn't pull off. I bared my teeth. Aro pet my head, “It is, my dear. Newborns cannot adequately control themselves, as I'm sure you remember. So many in one location.”

He made a face, “It threatens to expose our kind. We cannot have that, now, can we?”

Daniela didn't respond. Aro offered his hand once more and, again, she only stared. He curled his fingers into a fist, glancing to me briefly, “If you wish to continue your existence, my dear, I suggest you provide the information we seek. Though, your refusal is quite telling.”

She didn't look to be afraid of him. I could admire that. To be blunt, it wasn't him specifically she should be afraid of. But, it was the coven as a whole that she should fear. At Aro's command, she could be destroyed a million different ways. I could almost guarantee it would be by my jaws, though. He was determined to prove my worth to his brother. She did, however, follow his gaze, “What is that thing?”

Aro smirked, “I don't believe it's any concern of yours.”

He reached out to pet me again, so I snapped by teeth at his fingers and he quickly withdrew his hand. The smell of this woman was like torture to me and I began to trot anxiously, whining. He turned to me, “Patience, my dear.”

Caius stepped forward, “Enough games. Tell us what we wish to know.”

Aro frowned at his brother. Daniela stared in defiance for another moment before finally holding her hand out to him. He gripped it tightly, his eyes becoming unfocused.

“Interesting,” he finally spoke, and then was thoughtful before addressing her again, “I suggest you begin running, my dear.”

She gave him a confused look, to which he responded by waving his hand. Hesitantly, she spun on her heel and sprinted back through the trees. Aro turned to me with a smile, issuing a simple command, “Go.”

Dirt launched into the air as I took off. She didn't manage to get very far before I sank my teeth into her ankle. As I worked on literally tearing her apart, I could hear Aro speaking over her screams.

“It seems our old friends Vladimir and Stefan are involved. How surprising.”

I took that to mean it wasn't a surprise at all. I ripped through the woman's neck, silencing her permanently. Her hair in my mouth, I carried the head back to Aro and dropped it as his feet. He was pleased, “Good girl.”

A growl vibrated in my throat. Apparently I was going to have to tell him off again later. Or destroy more of his property or something to get the point across. With his foot, he nudged it toward Demetri, “Send this to the Russian Coven leaders. I expect they'll get the message.”

The blond douchebag spoke to his brother, “Your pet isn't very impressive. We could have removed her just as effectively ourselves.”

I bit at him and he jumped back, “I still wish you'd put it down. She'll end up killing half the Guard.”

“No, just you,” I snipped now that I was back on two legs. He quickly turned away, as did everyone else but Aro. Of course he wouldn't. He retrieved a tank top and pair of spandex running shorts from his jacket pocket. As I slipped into my clothes I asked him, “You're an asshole, you know that?”

He ignored me.

* * * * *

As it was almost sunrise, we were forced to hide in hotel rooms for the day before we could return to Volterra. Unfortunately for the spoiled babies, there was no, like, ten star rooms available so they actually had to settle for the ones us common folk get. Caius and Marcus took one, Demetri and Felix another, and, of course, Aro followed me into a third. He shut the door, frowning at the room. I snorted. Considering I was the only one that actually slept, I didn't understand what the problem was. I dropped onto the foot of the double bed, “Can I ask something?”

“I'd rather you didn't,” he answered.

“Do you, like, get your jollies off by treating me like a fucking dog? 'Cause that's kind of gross.”

Aro looked confused so I clarified, “You act like I'm your damn pet, yet you crawl into my pants first chance you get. Don't you find that a bit, I don't know, disgusting?”

“Is there a reason why I should? You are not an animal.”

“Wait, wait,” I held up my hands, “Think about what you just said.”

He stared at me. I rolled my hand, prompting him to actually use his brain, “And now consider how you act towards me on a regular basis.”

The man huffed, “I understand your point, my dear. I will refrain in the future.”

“From treating me like a dog or from getting in my panties? Because I think I'm only cool with one of those.”

In a flash he had pushed me to my back and was on top of me, fit between my legs. His lips brushed against my neck, “Which do you think?”

“I don't know, you're not making it very clear.”

“Aren't I?” His lips were on mine, his tongue probing my mouth hungrily. It was then I realized Caius' room was right next to ours. Oh, he was going to love us. I wasted no time unfastening the buttons on Aro's shirt, tugging it from the waist of his trousers. My legs wrapped around him, grinding myself against him. He moaned in his throat.

I half expected the blond asshole to come busting through our wall like, “don't you motherfuckers dare!”. It was almost disappointing he hadn't yet.

He pulled the top of my shirt down, exposing one of my boobs, and squeezed it hard. I resisted the urge to slap him. Instead, I yanked his belt through the buckle, pulling open the button and zipper. He lifted his hips so I could push the waist of his pants down. I couldn't properly wrap my hand around him from this position, but just caressing him caused him to shiver. His hand left my chest to plunge down my shorts, forcing them over my hip. The man's fingernails bit the skin of my ass. I pushed his shirt from his shoulders. Aro got up on his knees, allowing it to fall down his arms. I sat and whipped off my tank top and threw it across the room.

My hands gripped his thighs as I ran my tongue up the length of his cock, taking it in my mouth. I sucked him, bobbing my head. His hand nested in my hair, pulling just a bit. When he began to thrust his hips at me I pushed him away, “Behave or I'll bite you.”

He muttered an apology, anxious for me to return to my task. I wrapped a hand around his shaft, circling the tip with my tongue. The man groaned and his hold on my hair tightened. I wrapped my lips around him, going down on him as far as I could. With his other hand shaking, he tucked my loose hair behind my ear so he could properly see my face. His breathing was picking up, he was getting close. Now I had to decide if I was gonna let him have it or make him wait.

With one last lick, I grabbed his wrist and removed his hand from my head. I laid back of the bed, not breaking eye contact with him. His fingers curled into the waist of my shorts and he pulled them free in one swift motion, discarding them on the floor. As he leaned forward, he ran a hand down the inside of my thigh. Neither of us were the type to tease, so he got right down to business with his tongue on my clit. Caressing it, running circles around it, tongue dipping inside me. He didn't spend much time doing that, though.

Aro crawled on top of me, his mouth consuming mine. I could taste myself on him and it only made me more aroused. I wrapped a leg around him and pulled him closer. I was done playing. I needed him in the worst way. Good thing he was smart, usually, and could take a hint. He pushed his erection into my pussy and it was pure bliss. I still didn't quite understand why I craved him so, but I wasn't going to try to figure it out right now.

He held me tightly, his body flush against mine, groaning with each stroke. I moaned loudly, partially because I was enjoying myself and partially to give the asshat next door an earful. I held his shoulders and nuzzled his chest. Gods, I loved him.

…

_“Him”_ , not him. Fuck, not him. That wasn't possible. Even if it was, hell no.

With a hard shove, his dick throbbed inside me. He panted heavily and trembled in the wake of his orgasm. I gave him a minute to calm down, “So, if you could get off me now, that'd be great.”

“But you haven't-”

I cut him off, “I'm good, promise. What I'd really like is a shower.”

He withdrew from me, rolling so that I could get out from under him. Just because I could, I slapped his ass before bouncing off the bed. I snatched my discarded clothing from the floor before retreating to the bathroom. What. The. Fuck.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

\--Northern France--

Though he had been doing so for a month now, I still was not used to waking up to Aro in bed with me. I'd told him multiple times to stop, but obviously he listens as well as I do. When I had emerged from my shower, Aro was sitting at the desk, chin propped up by his fist, reading. So I just belly flopped onto the bed, expecting to get some sleep.

But nope. Which I should have expected considering he _still_ hadn't put his clothes back on.

He was on me not even half a second later, determined to finish what he had started. He kissed the back of my neck as his hand dove down the front of my shorts. I was instantly wet. Fuck, I hated what this man did to me. His fingers slid between my folds, curling into me. I gasped louder than I had meant to. He stroked me at a steady, quick pace. I gripped the sheet tightly and moaned. Shit it felt good. Using his knee, he pushed my leg out more, allowing his hand to better rub against my clit. His stiff cock throbbed against my ass. Obviously this would be going further, but I definitely wasn't complaining.

I exploded beneath his touch, gasping with each wave of pleasure. He moved his fingers more slowly as I rode out the orgasm. Fuck. And then his hand was gone, once again pushing my shorts down my hips. His dick shoved into my pussy hard and we moaned in unison. Man, Caius was gonna love us in the morning. Well, evening, I guess. His hips roughly slammed into mine, his hand locked on my tit. I was beginning to think I might be able to climax again, but then a searing pain ripped through my shoulder, "You son of a bitch!"

Aro couldn't scold me for my language because he had sunk his teeth into me, alternating between growling and groaning in his throat. He could have fun explaining the bloody sheets to the hotel staff. His thrusts were growing erratic. The hand on my boob was now on my hip, pushing me against him as he buried himself in my core, achieving his release. A fresh wave of pain tore through me as he freed my shoulder so that he could moan loudly into my hair.

He took several deep breaths, not moving. I dug my elbow up into his side, "Get the fuck off me."

His weight lifted and I once again retreated to the bathroom, wetting a washcloth. Aro appeared in the doorway, my blood smeared across his lips, "I'm sorry, my dear."

"Yeah, you're gonna be," I mumbled as I dabbed at the wound. Thanks to super healing, the bleeding had already slowed significantly. It was more of an ooze now. "I hope it tasted fucking awful."

"It was rather pungent, yes."

I quickly finished cleaning myself up, throwing the soiled washcloth into the bathtub. He followed me like a lost puppy, "I don't do so intentionally. It isn't always easy to maintain control in the throws of passion."

"No shit." I pulled the sheets from the mattress and covered it with the comforter. I laid on the side of my uninjured shoulder. The wound throbbed enough as it was. Aro curled into me from behind, gently pressing his cheek to the bite. His cold skin helped to relieve some of the pain.

Next thing I knew, I was waking up, Aro still against me, an arm draped over my waist. The biggest reason I hated him staying in bed was because I felt like it was giving him a false impression of exactly what our relationship was. It wasn't the lovey-dovey, "let's cuddle and suck each other's faces off constantly" kind. It was the "let's have sex and then you can leave me alone" type. And that's all it would ever be. I kept telling myself that to make it true.

I pushed his arm off and sat up, rolling my injury. It was still quite painful but looked a little less angry now, at least. A cold finger traced one edge, "I truly do apologize, my dear. I had no desire to harm you."

I shrugged away, "You're just kissing my ass so I don't cut you off."

He gave me that look he gave when most people would just roll their eyes. After _another_ shower, I pulled my top and shorts back on where they would be staying this time. Aro leaned against the wall with his arms crossed as he watched me. I couldn't tell if he looked mad or upset. I lightly patted his cheek, "Don't worry, Sir Gilbert, I won't actually do it. Mostly because I want in your pants just as badly as you want in mine, but still."

A slight smirk played on his lips.

In the hallway we reconvened with the others. I immediately made direct eye contact with Caius, "So, how was your day?"

The phrase "if looks could kill" definitely applied here. He sneered, "The thought of you two engaging in such behavior turns my stomach."

"So don't think about it and mind your own damn business," I slapped him on the back which only made him more angry. I leaned around him to look at the other brother, "I'm sorry you had to experience that, Marcus."

The man only nodded. I turned to face Aro, who apparently had been standing with the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger during that entire exchange. Good. Now we were both frustrated with each other. Now that I got that out of my system, we could finally head back to Volterra.

* * * * *

\--Volterra, Italy--

I had a feeling I was being watched.

I opened my eyes just a crack to see Aro at the foot of the bed. I groaned, "Do you really have to do that? It's fucking creepy."

Pulling the blanket tighter around me, I attempted to go back to sleep. But it suddenly disappeared from me entirely. That fucker.

"Rise and shine, my dear," he said, ignoring my death stare, "I thought we might spend the day together."

"Why the hell would I do that?" I wasn't going to go without a fight, though I did actually want to. Something was seriously wrong with me.

"The weather is perfect for it. Don't you want to be out of your cage? he smirked with the last word. I hummed, "Spend the day in bed, or spend the day with a man I hate. What a tough decision."

He pouted, "I don't believe it's fair to say you hate me. You've been known to enjoy my company."

"Unless we're going to be naked, I'm not sure I will." An icy hand wrapped around my wrist and tugged, "Come, my dear."

With a groan I got to my feet, poking him in the chest, "This is _not_ a date."

"I'm aware, mia cara."

Randomly, I grabbed a shirt and jeans before shutting myself in the bathroom. I leaned on the counter. What was I doing? I should have just told him to fuck off. There was no way he wasn't going to see this as a date. Little by little he's been smudging the line. Pushing back that boundary I had set. It wasn't supposed to go this far. But I refused to concede.

Aro had waited for me in the main room, sitting on the couch that I'd fucked him on. Which I'm pretty sure he did intentionally. He smiled, "Shall we?"

I sighed, "Let's get this over with."

* * * * *

By nice weather, he meant sixty degrees fahrenheit with no chance of the sun coming out. It was weird, strolling down a crowded street with a vampire. At some point during my attempt to regroup, Aro had slipped in a pair of colored contacts so that he better blended it. His eyes were now an odd shade of brown. He had tried to convince me to do the same, but at least my eyes I could pass off as a variant of gray.

"What would you like to do, mia cara?"

I looked at him, "Weren't you the one that wanted this?"

"Yes, but the plan was to do what you wanted."

"Get drunk and go to a strip club."

He opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off, "If you make a comment about stripping for me I will slap you."

After a moment I added, "Maybe later, if you can behave."

He smirked. I sighed, "I suppose you could show me around. Thanks to you I haven't gotten to see much of the city."

Now he smiled, "Of course, my dear."

Aro walked me through much of the city, pointing out important buildings, telling me about the architecture, the community. He also told me the history of the town that the humans knew and shared with me the _actual_ history of it. His brothers and himself still pulled all the strings. So, not only did he rule over vampire kind, he also controlled about ten thousand humans and a ridiculous number of tourists. Some of which apparently never left. And for the entirety of the tour, the asshole kept trying to get closer to me. His fingers brushed against mine, a hand attempted to settle on the small of my back. Every time I'd take a step away, putting distance between us, and he'd just drift back to me. I knew this wasn't just a typical outing to him...

After walking all afternoon, he decided I needed to eat. Because I apparently didn't get a say in whether I was hungry or not. He sat me at a nice restaurant and ordered for me since I didn't know a lick of Italian. Of course, he got me something consisting mostly of meat. Which was fine, I supposed. The extra protien seemed to be helping me and, if he kept fucking biting me, I'd likely soon need the iron. Aro watched me the entire time I ate.

"Do you really have to?" I asked between bites. He smiled wider, "You're just fascinating, is all."

Not like he hasn't ever seen me chewing food before. I sighed, "Aro-"

He shushed me. I rolled my eyes, "Really?"

No reaction, just that stupid smile. "This isn't-"

Shushed again. I narrowed my eyes, "Can I just-"

"Sshh." Apparently not. My fingertips rolled across the table, "Are you finished?"

"I know what you will say, my dear," he said smoothly, "And we are not discussing it at this moment."

"I think we need to," I insisted, "I made it clear-"

He held his index finger to his lips, "This does not need to be discussed, I assure you."

I decided to let it drop. Obviously the asshole wasn't going to let me get a word in edgewise. By the time I was finished eating, the clouds had darkened considerably. Despite that, he insisted we walk through the park before returning "home". Rain began to lightly patter on the pavement.

"It's raining," I stated the obvious, to which he replied, "Yes, I can see that."

So I scoffed, "Is there a reason you're trying to kill time?"

"I'm sorry, my dear, what was that?" He wanted me to slap him apparently. The rain began to pick up. "You heard me. If you had wanted to see me in a wet t-shirt you could have just asked."

His step stuttered, like he suddenly was like "why the hell didn't I think of that?". Aro smiled at me, "My intent was nothing of the sort, my dear."

Okay, buddy. But, he had just admitted in an indirect way that he had an ulterior motive. I stopped walking, putting my hands on my hips, "Then what was your intent?"

"This." He took my face in his hands and his lips were against mine. I shouldn't have been surprised. What caught me off guard was the feeling behind it. This was unlike any other kiss we've shared. There was no desperation, no lust. This kiss was tender, _loving_. I pushed him away, "Aro-"

"My dear," he didn't let me finish, "For one moment, forget about what we are. How things should be. Feel how things are. Stop fighting me."

I stared at him, my mouth hanging open like an idiot. What have we done? He reached out, brushing his fingers along my jaw. Fuck. I didn't want to stop fighting. This couldn't happen. My mind screamed at me to run. My heart begged me to give in. He put his hands on my waist and pulled me to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck as our lips met again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aro can be romantic when he feels like it. xD


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

\--Volterra, Italy--

As soon as we walked through the door he had me in bed.

And we did something we had never done before: made and held eye contact. Aro got on top of me, kissing me, exploring my mouth with his tongue. His lips pressed against my jaw, my neck. I ran my fingers through his chest hair. He positioned himself, watching my face as he pushed inside me. I gasped, my body automatically tightened around him as he went as deep as possible. He echoed my pleasure.

I stared into his red eyes as he steadily thrust into me, panting lightly. What I saw made my stomach knot further. There was an adoration in them I hadn't noticed before. Or maybe I had and ignored it. The man didn't just want _me_ , he wanted me. Part of me had known that already, but I hadn't known the depth of it. He didn't want me as his guard, to have something shiny no one else had. He didn't want me as a play thing, he wanted me as a lover.

It felt as though a rug had been pulled out from under me. Everything came crashing down in an instant. I didn't know what to feel, what to do. I didn't understand. This was the man who ordered the destruction of my pack, not that it was entirely a bad thing. Kidnapped me. Held me prisoner. Treated me as an animal. Fuck, he even threatened to get sex by force if I didn't give it willingly. I shouldn't want this man. I didn't want to want this man.

But I did.

I reached up, brushing my fingers down his cheek. He turned his face into my hand, but not enough to break eye contact, and began to thrust harder. I gasped with every stroke, the pleasure radiating from my core at an intensity I hadn't felt before. I gripped his shoulders, squirming beneath him, as it overwhelmed me. My pussy contracted around his erection and I whimpered with every wave of my orgasm. Hopefully my face didn't look too stupid, because he was taking in every single detail. Only a moment later, he pushed all the way in, his fingers clawing the sheets, breath heaving from his chest. His dick pulsed as he emptied himself inside me. Aro never once looked away from me.

What the hell did we just do?

* * * * *

The sun rose on the morning of the day of the moon. I woke with my head resting on Aro's shoulder, a hand on his chest, our legs tangled together. He pulled my chin up so he could kiss me. Things escalated quickly from there. Which he must have been hoping for because he was already hard. He rolled on top of me, one hand roaming my body as he pushed his tongue in my mouth. I wrapped a leg around him, rubbing his chest. His fingers dug into my thigh, the tip of his cock teased me and I squirmed. He whispered into my ear, "What do you say, my dear?"

"Fuck me or I'll kill you?"

He hummed and began to pull away, "No."

"Please?" I quickly asked. I was rewarded with his erection sliding into my pussy, "Good girl."

It was difficult to describe how good it felt. My body ached for him so badly, to finally relieve that desire was overwhelming. That single stroke was almost enough to shatter me. He started out slow, but gradually grew faster and harder. Like last night, he seemed to study my face closely as the pleasure built within me. Then he stopped, and I didn't like how he looked at me. He opened his mouth to say something.

Please do not!

I pulled myself up, cramming our lips together. My hips ground against his, hoping to get him back on track. Luckily, it worked. Even being a vampire, he was such a simple minded creature at times. He thrust slow but forceful, pushing me into the mattress, breaking our kiss to pant in my hair. I huffed each time. Partially by choice, but mostly because he shoved the air from my lungs. I held him tightly, arching into him as best I could. It did me in

* * * * *

It seemed Aro was always waiting for me to come out of the shower. This time he had clothes on, though. He turned to face me and smiled, "I think there's something we need to discuss, my dear."

"No, there isn't," I said quickly as my anxiety threatened to choke me. He stepped closer, sounding more stern, "There is."

He reached out and tucked my hair behind my ear, his fingers brushing down my jaw and pushing up my chin. I was certain I knew what he was about to say. The same thing he had tried to say before when I had shut him up. Hopefully I didn't look terrified. I didn't want him to do this... Did I?

"Lorna, my dear-"

Just then Caius burst through the door. Saved by the douchebag! I was sure his sudden appearance wasn't entirely coincidental. He was afraid of the exact same thing I was. He cleared his throat, "Brother, your presence is required in the council chamber."

Aro turned to him, looking quite annoyed, "Can it not wait a moment? I am in the middle of something."

"It can't," the blond's answer was clipped. Aro sighed, facing me again, "We will speak about this later, my dear. I do, however, _need_ to inform you I will not be able to run with you this evening. I trust you can manage on your own?"

I gave him a thumbs up. He pressed his lips to my forehead before following his brother from the room. The latter narrowed his eyes at me as he left. I still could not wrap my mind around what was happening. We were incompatible, for fuck's sake! I hadn't done anything to earn his affection. And I didn't think I was _that_ good in bed. Likewise, he hadn't done anything to coax me into gaining my attraction either. It was just there. Where a murderous rampage was supposed to be. And was he really stupid enough to let me run alone? I mean, obviously he was. Or maybe he was testing me? All I knew, though, was if I wanted out, this was my chance. But I was torn. I didn't really want to leave, but I didn't want to stay either.

I needed a walk. Do some soul searching.

With no real destination in mind, I picked directions at random, just wandering the corridors. That was, until I caught a scent I didn't recognize. Mindlessly, I sprinted toward it and it didn't take long to reach its source. I pinned the newcomer to the wall, snarling in her face, "Who are you and what do you want?"

She looked quite young, with a mess of dark hair. She didn't look frightened of me, "I'm here to see my husband."

I rolled my eyes, "How helpful. Your husband is who, exactly?"

"Aro."

Insert record scratch sound effect here. I froze, staring at nothing as what she said sank in. As if to clear a fog, I shook my head, "I'm sorry, Aro is your what now?"

"My husband?"

"That's exactly what I thought you said," I tried to pretend my voice had not cracked. Her brows knit in concern, "Is there a problem?"

"Nope!" I blurted out. She probably thought I was an idiot. It's all good. Because that's exactly what I fucking was, "Just can't believe the asshole actually found someone willing to put up with him."

I let go of her, brushing imaginary dust from her cloak, "Sorry about that, I'm his guard dog. New smells get me going. Okay, carry on."

Turning on my heel, I walked away before she could speak again. That motherfucker. Of course he had a wife. How had I not figured that out? He wasn't interested in me beyond what I physically had to offer him. Gods, I was so fucking stupid. For feeling _anything_ towards him, let alone _._.. Instead of grabbing the elevator, I continued beyond it. Toward the back exit Aro had let me out so many times. A keypad kept it securely closed. I jabbed the buttons angrily, yanking the handle when the light flashed green.

My plan had been to run to the woods. Sit against a tree, probably cry, and wait for the moon. But once I reached that spot... I didn't stop. Fuck him and his games.

* * * * *

"Ah, Sulpicia, my dear," Aro was cheerful as he approached her, kissing her on the cheek, "Your travels were safe, I assume?"

She sighed, "Mostly."

"Mostly? What was it that happened?"

Sulpicia shrugged from her cloaking, folding over the back of a chair, "On my way in, I was attacked by some woman claiming to be your guard dog."

Aro's brows knitted.

"Lorna?" he muttered, though he knew she could still hear him, "I apologize, my dear, I should have kept her locked in her room during your visit. Were you harmed?"

"No, I was not," she pressed her lips together, "What _is_ she?"

He replied with a smile, "Lorna is a Child of the Moon-"

"A Child of the Moon? But how? I had thought their kind had been eradicated. And I thought their prey drive was unbreakable?"

Aro sat in one of the chairs, "They were kind was destroyed. Here in Europe and in Asia. We hadn't even begun to touch the other continents. Lorna was brought over from a North American pack we put down."

His wife shook her head, "I still fail to understand. Why would you do something so foolish? You've put the entire Guard at risk."

He tried not to let his grin slip, "She refused to attack. I decided I had a use for her."

"Or several." Caius mumbled behind him, standing at the bookcase. Sulpicia frowned, "I assumed as much. I can smell her on you, my husband."

Aro tapped his fingers against the table, "If we could step away from my private affairs, it would be greatly appreciated."

"I just hope you understand the risk you take, Aro," she answered with a sigh.

"I do, quite, actually. Now," he replaced the smile on his face, "Shall we finish settling our separation?"

"Let's, please."


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

\--Northern Italy--

Aro sprinted through the trees, crossing the countryside in a blur. He was hot on her trail but, given the amount of time that had passed, her scent was fading fast. Sunrise had come and gone, Lorna never returning. He had tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, at first. She hadn't been allowed to leave the Palazzo alone in quite some time. Perhaps she was simply enjoying herself and she'd be back by afternoon. Then afternoon came without her. As he sat and waited he remembered something. His now ex-wife Sulpicia mentioned they had encountered each other in the hall on her way in. Oh no.

He managed to catch her just as she was about to leave. She hadn't allowed him to look into her thoughts in years, but he insisted on it. It was of great importance he saw exactly what had transpired. Lorna held her to the wall, demanding a reason for her visit. The look that flashed across her face when Sulpicia told her he was still married...

Aro had left immediately.

Which, obviously, hadn't nearly been soon enough. At the speed she was capable of, he doubted she was still in the country anymore. Her trail grew ever fainter. Then he reached the Po River and it was gone completely. He stood among the brush at the river's edge, staring at the flowing water. She must have dived in to help erase her path. She knew he'd follow her. Lorna was going to be one step ahead of him the entire way. He pulled the nearest tree from the ground and hurled it into the murky river.

* * * * *

\--Volterra, Italy--

Aro threw the doors to the throne room open. Of course both his brothers were present. Caius looked at him puzzled. It wasn't often Aro showed so much anger He briskly crossed the room, "Demetri, find Lorna. Take Felix with you."

He had turned to leave, hoping to avoid Caius' criticism. The blond called after him, "Your pet ran away, did she?"

Aro faced him, and he continued, "I told you; you should have put her down."

The darker haired man decided not to engage, retreating from the room. He took the elevator to his quarters, quickly closing the door behind him. Aro faced the empty room. And proceeded to destroy it in a fit of rage. No, not rage. Pain. When he finished, the man pressed his back against the wall and rubbed at the corners of his eyes. The only person he could be mad at was himself, really. If he hadn't allowed her out alone... He pushed her too far towards something she didn't want. Or so she said. He had been sure she was denying herself of her true feelings. That her dislike of him was a facade that she was unwilling to let go of without a push. He pushed, knowing he'd be there to catch her. But she had fallen the other way.

Aro had been confident in his approach. He had watched her closely, her facial expressions, the way she spoke, how fast her heart raced. Just the other morning he had gazed into her eyes while he made love to her, and had been convinced he had seen a glimmer of just that. Love. He had been certain she felt for him the way he did for her. The pull to her was so strong, he even thought that maybe she...

He sighed.

* * * * *

\--Madrid, Spain--

We went over a bump and my face smacked against the window, jerking me awake. I snorted, "Where are we?"

I glanced around. The car was engulfed by tall, white buildings and bustling life. Moving my gaze to the driver of the vehicle, I then remembered he spoke absolutely no English. I racked my brain, "Eh, donde esta?"

That probably wasn't correct but the gentleman seemed to know what I was trying to say, "Madrid."

Perfect. Once the car was at a full stop I opened the door and stepped out, "Grazie."

Oops, that was Italian, not Spanish. The man smiled politely anyway before driving away. I stretched. On foot I had managed to make it about two-thirds of the way through France before I just got too fucking tired and had to hitch a ride. Probably wasn't a smart thing, and I would not have done it if I were entirely human. I hoped in the car with the first person that let me. Didn't care where they were going, as long as it was the opposite direction of Volterra.

Madrid was going to work in my favor in multiple ways. The city was huge with plenty of people out and about. That would make begging for money much easier. And because the city was so large, anyone following her scent would be wandering around for a while. Hopefully. There was also an airport and likely a sketchy place to "help" me with travel documentation.The asshole had smuggled me over on a private jet so I lacked proper papers for air travel.

I spent the day moving through the streets, telling people I was homeless and broke and asked for help. Thankfully, the actual collecting money part didn't take long. Obtaining a forged passport took a bit longer. Once I found someone to do it, they had wanted more for it than what my flight was going to cost. But, with a bit of "persuasion", I managed to get it for the little extra I had left. The longer I stayed in Europe, the more likely I would be found and I'd be damned if I was going to let that happen.

At the airport, I was lucky and unlucky. They accepted my phony papers and allowed me to get a ticket to North Carolina. The down side was, the flight didn't leave until eight in the morning. That still left me with an uncomfortable amount of time to wait. To risk being caught up with. I left quite early in the day. Assuming Aro had been busy, as he said he would be, and hadn't noticed I left until the following morning, I'd have well over a twenty-four head start. But my departure time was still twelve hours from now. I tried not to think about it. I'd worry about it if I had to. In the meantime, I was going to find a quiet corner to huddle in and try to sleep.

* * * * *

\--Southern France--

This was pointless, both Felix and Demetri knew it. The latter was able to trace her trail to the south of France but now it was dead, ending abruptly at a highway. Obviously she had gotten into a vehicle to travel. And now he wouldn't be able to track her any better than the man who sent him out. Which was quite frustrating to him. He was the best tracker in the world. Almost no one could hide from him. Except those whose minds were unavailable. Exceptionally strong mental shields could escape his notice. This girl, too, was lost on him because she was a Child of the Moon. Their minds were shut off from his kind. Which was why his master couldn't access her thoughts, no matter how hard he tried.

Demetri pulled a flip phone from his pocket and dialed. The receptionist answered after the second ring. "It's Demetri. I need Aro."

It was silent for a moment before the man picked up and demanded a progress report. Demetri braced himself, "Master, I managed to track her into Southern France but I've lost her scent."

Aro questioned Demetri's ability. "Her mind is blocked off from me, Master. I'm not able to hone in on it."

It was dead quiet. For a moment he wondered if Aro had walked away but then he spoke again, "I need her found, Demetri. Your tracking ability aside, I've tasked you with locating her. See that you do."

"Yes, Master Aro." He sighed after hanging up the phone. Felix rubbed his temples, "So, we're just supposed to scour the Earth, then?"

"No, we will be smart about this," Demetri tapped his chin as he thought, "Where would she most likely run to? Would she return home or remain in Europe?"

He was inclined to believe the first, but reconsidered. She was clever, according to Aro. It was possible she wanted them to think she went back to America, when really she would hide under their noses. Felix answered, "I don't think she's ever spoken of being homesick. There's nothing for her there."

"We're going to America then," Demetri pulled out the phone again, "She wants us to think she wouldn't go back, which means that's exactly what she did."

As his call rang through, he groaned internally. This was going to take awhile.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick comment. I will be posting the dates that my stories will be updated on my profile in the Bio section.

Chapter Eighteen

\--Iowa, United States--

“Where are we even supposed to start?” Felix had asked on their way back to Volterra. Demetri had made another call to Aro, who would be sure the private jet was ready for them upon their return. The smaller man ran a hand through his hair, “Hmm, I don’t know that she’d return to Washington. There’s nothing left there for her. Her family is located in Iowa. I say we start there.”

Aro approved their decision and gave them strict instructions. Find her. Stay on her tail until he could personally come to retrieve her. Now that they were on the plan, en route to the United States, Demetri allowed himself to doubt Aro’s plan. The last time he and Felix were meant to stay back and watch, the Children of the Moon had easily picked up on their presence. Lorna’s senses were quite sharp. He sighed. That would be a concern for later. They had to find her first.

Having done thorough research on her, the pair already knew exactly where they needed to go once arriving in the state. As a means of blending in, they rented a car and made the four hour drive to the tiny town she had come from. Only consisting of a few hundred people, it wasn’t difficult to navigate. Just as planned, it was around midnight when they arrived. Felix parked the car in a community lot and they walked the couple blocks to the house the girl’s parents lived in. The two men jumped the wooden fence, hiding between it and some rather thick shrubbery.

A dim light showed through one of the lower windows, but it went out only a few minutes later. Perfect timing. Felix stayed behind as Demetri slowly, but carefully, crept along the house. Sniffing at the air, examining faint prints in the dirt. Some were canine, but not nearly large enough. The family must own a dog. Good to know. He returned to Felix, “I’m not picking up her scent of finding anything else to indicate she’s here.”

Felix nodded, “Now we wait.”

Which they did. For several days. Not always from the backyard, but from nearby. There was an empty lot behind the house, adorned with only a large weeping willow tree. That probably needed to be cut down, to be honest. Felix sat against in, book in hand pretending to be reading and enjoying the nice day, as he kept watch on the house. Demetri patrolled the town in the car, careful not to draw suspicion to himself. Lorna never showed up.

Guess it was time to come up with a new plan.

* * * * *

\--Washington, United States--

Once on the ground in North Carolina, I had to figure out where I was going to go. Which, honestly, wasn’t a difficult decision. My hope was that since they knew there wasn’t a reason for me to return to the Olympic Peninsula, they would assume I wouldn’t and look for me elsewhere. So that’s exactly where I was going. I wasn’t about to go home and put my parents at risk.

Although I was fast in my human form, I was much more so in my wolf. And thanks to Aro, I could slip into that skin any time I wanted. I flew through the trees when I could. If there wasn’t adequate cover, I shifted back and just walked alongside the road. Occasionally, I would hitchhike, often using the opportunity to sleep. Except that once, because the guy was giving off some creepy vibes.

After several days on the road, I was back in familiar territory. The thick forest, the near constant clouds and rain. Good ole Washington. As I approached the old shack the pack had been temporarily calling home, my stomach began to knot as reality really settled in. No one would be there. We had all left to walk into our own death trap. Glenn had been too cocky about the entire thing. I had a similar air, but I also never forgot what I was really up against. The Volturi were not the people to take lightly, having amassed quite a powerful army. This I knew before I was kidnapped. Children of the Moon knew who the Volturi were, being our biggest threat. That they had been slaughtering our kind for hundreds of years, quite effectively. They obviously knew something that the average vampire didn’t. Even though I had the “bring it on” attitude, I was well aware there was a good chance I wasn’t coming out of the fight alive.

But here I was, alone in the abandoned shake. Everything the way it had been left that night. My business textbook still sat on the table. Glenn’s clothes were still on the floor in the corner. Emmi’s make up scattered. I headed to the only bedroom in the small home and stood in the doorway. The bed was nothing more than a stained mattress on the floor, not even a sheet covering it, but still I stared. I had the sudden urge to burn it. So much awful shit happened on that fucking thing. Glenn with his hands where I hadn’t wanted them. On top of me. Behind me. Pulling my hair… Aro had done that once or twice, but it had been different somehow. Glenn had done it to exert his dominance over me. While Aro had probably done it much for the same reason, he hadn’t been an asshole about it. He made sure I knew who was in charge, but also made it clear it wasn’t just about him. Like it had been with Glenn.

Wow, that was almost painful to admit. Aro _not_ being an asshole about something. Aro…

A hand clamped down on my shoulder, “Lorna?”

Adrenaline flooded me and instinct took over. I gripped the wrist and pulled, flipping the man behind me over my shoulder. The air rushed from his lungs as he crashed into the hardwood floor. I panted, “Stuart?

He grimaced, “Good to see you too.”

I leaned into the door frame, “What the fuck? I thought you were all dead!”

Stuart stood, brushing dirt from the back of his pants before rolling out his shoulder, “Everyone else is. I got lucky and managed to sneak away. Headed to the river so they’d lose my scent.”

“You fucking coward!” I shoved him. But this time he had been expecting it and didn’t budge. He shrugged, “I guess. But I wasn’t about to follow Glenn into an obvious ambush. Enough about me, though. What the hell happened to you?”

“Lord Douchebag decided to take me back to Volterra with him to be his damn pet,” I folded my arms and tried to ignore the sting in my chest. Stuart looked utterly confused, “Wait, they kept you? Isn’t that against their laws or something?”

I snorted, “He makes the rules. He’ll break them as he sees fit. He’s there ‘king’, what consequences could possibly apply to him?”

Stuart pressed his lips into a line and, after a moment, waved his hand dismissively, “Well, whatever. You got away. You’re here now. What are we going to do?”

“We?” I asked, “What do you mean we?”

He opened his mouth to answer but I cut him off, “There’s no we, Stuart. I’m not forming another pack, dragging anymore people into this hell. I’m gonna grab a few things and go. You will go the opposite way that I do.”

Again, he tried to speak. Again, I beat him to it, “You honestly think they won’t come after me? Aro’s fucking crazy. He isn’t going to just let me go. And I’ll be damned if you do get killed because of me.”

I stepped around him then, trying to hide the moisture gathering in my eyes. My bag was still in the corner, open. I grabbed it, stuffing a clean change of clothes inside as well as Glenn’s wallet, a towel, hair brush, and toothbrush. I zipped it and slung it over my shoulders. Stuart stared at me, frowning. I threw my arms around his neck. Had I gotten to choose my own mate, it would have been him. He was sweet, and usually gave me just as much shit as I gave him. Though, now I only loved him as a friend. I didn’t feel those other things for him anymore. Like they were smudged from my mind.

I released him, “Please go, Stuart.”

With that, I bailed. Sprinting away as quickly as I possibly could.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

\--Washington, United States--

Her scent was barely detectable, but there all the same. Demetri flipped the mattress aside. It thudded into the wall, causing the smell to intensify. Or, perhaps he was only picking up on her from that. It was difficult to tell, as much as he hated to admit. She was being masked by one much stronger, one that still held a slight similarity. The missing pack member. He snorted. How stupid were these wolves? Coming back to their den, such an obvious place?

Hands grabbed the back of his cloak, whipping him around and launching him through the wall. He crashed onto the table in the main living space. It crumpled under his weight. Felix sauntered from the bedroom with the perpetrator's neck locked in his arm, though Stuart wasn’t struggling. Demetri hopped to his feet, straightening his coat, “You’ve got some nerve, dog.”

“What do you goons want?” Stuart asked calmly. The smaller vampire got right in his face, “Your Beta. Where is she?”

Stuart, to the best of his ability, shrugged, “Haven’t seen her in months. Assumed she was dead, like the others.”

Demetri was tempted to backhand him but knew it would be pointless. Besides, he couldn’t be certain the man wasn’t lying. The only place he’d been able to locate her scent was inside the shack. There was no trace of it anywhere outside. So, he settled for taunting him instead, “Such a selfish, cowardly thing. Turning your back on them to save your own skin. How proud you must be.”

The wolf didn’t even blink, “Not proud, but not guilty either. Lorna and I wanted nothing to do with the pack. Unfortunately, she was stronger bound to the Alpha than I was.”

“So you left her to die with them? What a friend you are.”

Stuart shook his head, “No. I looked back and she was already gone. I thought she’d already run for it. I did the same.”

Demetri chuckled, it was a very patronizing sound. He pulled the cellphone from his pocket, dialed, and held it to his ear; smirking the entire time.

* * * * *

\--Volterra, Italy--

Aro picked up the phone from the desk, hoping there was finally good news, “Have you found her?”

No, they still hadn’t. His grip tightened on the handset; it made a slight cracking sound. Demetri proceeded to inform him, though, that they had come across the pack member that had managed to escape them, and wanted to know what was to be done. Aro tapped his fingers against the wooden surface. Stuart, was the wolf’s name. Lorna had mentioned a Stuart once. And had previously stated she had only one true friend, who had been in her pack. He put two and two together. But now, what was he to do? Caius would demand he be killed. Aro was inclined to order the same. However…

Would Lorna be able to forgive him if she were to ever find out?

He massaged the bridge of his nose. With a glance over his shoulder, he relayed his decision, “Release him. Inform him he’d do well to make himself scarce.”

Aro slammed the phone back onto the receiver with a heavy sigh. Where was she? And then he had an idea. He picked the handset back up and dialed. “Demetri, I have a proposition for our dear wolf friend.”

* * * * *

\--Washington, United States--

“So,” Stuart spoke slowly to make sure he was understanding correctly, “I help you find Lorna, and I’ll never have to worry about the Volturi killing me again?”

“Precisely,” Demetri sounded less than thrilled.

“But, what about the moons? When I shift I’ll kill you.”

Both vampires barked laughter. Then, very seriously, Demetri said, “Then you’d better hurry up.”

The werewolf thought for a moment. Demetri added, “She won’t be brought to harm. Is this really so much worse than abandoning her in a moment of need?”

Stuart narrowed his eyes, “Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Wonderful. Our Master will be greatly appreciative of your help. Now, let’s get started.”

Stuart hesitated for a moment, trying to decide if he should bring anything. Ultimately, he decided it was pointless and exited the shack, the two vampires in tow. He lifted his face to the breeze and inhaled. Then began sprinting South, “This way!”

Demetri and Felix were right behind him.

* * * * *

I decided to head North, toward the Canadian border. I did my best to avoid any towns and highways, opting to run straight through the forests. Almost immediately after crossing the Hoh River, I picked up on the most revolting scent I’d ever been unfortunate enough to smell. There were definitely bloodsuckers nearby, but something wasn’t right with them. Their smell didn’t trigger that overwhelming prey drive like the others did. Aside from Sir Gilbert’s coven. It did, however, pique my interest.

I sprinted Northeast, dodging around the thick trees. The smell grew stronger. There almost had to be more than one. Two, maybe? I leaped over a boulder and about landed on them. Gracefully, I rolled across the forest floor. I scrambled to my feet as they rose to look at me. The dark haired woman spoke, “Are you alright?”

“Peachy.” I quickly brushed dirt from my tank top. When I met her stare, I was a bit shocked to see her eyes were gold instead of crimson, “Whoa, what the hell is wrong with you guys?”

They exchanged a look. My eyes traveled down to the deer carcasses at their feet, “Are you guys drinking animal blood? That must be why you smell like a vampire that rolled in a dead animal that had been rotting in the sun for a week.”

The taller, blond man, who happened to be quite attractive, by the way, spoke next, “Are you a friend of Jacob’s?”

My nose wrinkled, “Who?”

The woman whispered to her partner, “She knows about us. What should we do, Carlisle?”

I waved my hand to get their attention, “Yeah, I can hear you. You bloodsuckers aren’t the only ones with supernatural abilities.”

The man called Carlisle looked at me curiously, “I’m sorry, if you’re not a shifter, what are you?”

I put my hands on my hips, “I’m a werewolf, thought it was obvious to your kind.”

“But, didn’t you just say-” the woman began to ask so I answered before she could finish, “No, no. You misunderstand. I’m not one of those fake, wanna-be ones. I’m a Child of the Moon.”

“Oh,” the dark haired vampire sounded surprised, “We didn’t think there were any around here.”

I snorted, “Lady, there was an entire pack of us living in the Southern part of the state for the last month and a half.”

There was an awkward silence before I spoke again, “So… You guys gonna finish those? Because I’m starving.”

They glanced at each other again.

* * * * *

\--Volterra, Italy--

“Still no sign of your little pet, hmm?”

Caius’ words stung, like a hot iron shoving through his chest. But Aro kept his face and tone smooth, “Not yet. But they will. I’m sure of it.”

He wasn’t about to tell him what he had just done that made him so confident. He rejoined his brothers at the large table. The blond shook his head, “You realize you are breaking your own law by carrying on with her, correct?”

Aro answered without looking at him, “A law that only exists due to your unfortunate run-it with one of her kind.”

“Because they are a threat to our existence, brother,” Caius emphasized each word. Aro took a book and began flipping through it, “Yes, but she is different.”

Caius snorted, and that’s when Marcus spoke up, “I agree, this one clearly is special.”

Again, Caius shook his head and scoffed, “I don’t understand the two of you.”

He walked across the room. Marcus turned to his remaining brother, “Your suspicion is correct, Aro.”

The man froze. Surely, he didn’t mean… Aro turned to his companion, who nodded his head. His breathing hitched as pain tore through him anew. But he was not allowed a chance to truly process it. The large doors burst open, and two vampires he had been hoping would visit stormed in. A familiar head was thrown at his feet.

“What is the meaning for this?” Vladimir snarled. At the sound, two rather burly men, one blond and one a shorter redhead, appeared on either side of Aro, their teeth bared and prepared to fight. Aro held up his hand in a gesture to stop, “Wayland, Nicolaus.”

The two were rather new to the Guard and, admittedly, a bit over-eager. Aro smiled, taking a few steps forward. Vladimir wasn’t particularly intimidating. Quite short, white hair, rather fragile in appearance. The Volturi had already defeated him once. “I had thought the reasoning would be obvious, my friend.”

Stefan spat. Aro pretended to ignore it, but mentally made a note to have the human clean the floor. Vladimir spoke, tone still dripping with venom, “What do you want from us, Aro?”

Aro didn’t blame the man for being upset, of course. Had a disembodied head of a coven member shown up at his door, Aro wouldn’t be too happy either. Depending on who it was. His response was curt, “Answers.”

Stefan scoffed, “For what?”

Aro hummed as his smile shifted to one of annoyance, “It would see there has been a suspiciously large number of disappearances from your country.”

“And you did this because you believe we are involved?” Vladimir accused, adding an exaggerated laugh. The Volturi leader held out his hand, “If you truly are innocent, then proving it should be no issue.”

The white haired man scowled now, “We should not have to prove our innocence.”

“When I have evidence suggesting your guilt, you certainly do if you wish to continue your existence,” Aro wiggled his fingers, another attempt to retrieve what he was after. Never dropping his gaze, Vladimir finally gave his hand. Aro focused. He was seeing so much, yet none of it was what he had been hoping to see. He dropped the other man’s hand and folded his own together. Aro gave a smile that closely resembled a smirk, “See to it the activity ceases. You may show yourselves out.”

Aro turned, walking back toward the table. While he was actually incapable of feeling one, all this was giving him a headache. On top of Lorna fleeing and the search for her, he now was bombarded by information that made little sense. He clearly saw the Russian Coven leaders in the mind of the woman they had confronted in France. He did not, however, see any sign of her in Vladimir’s. Obviously, one of them was somehow tricking him. And he was inclined to believe it was the coven leader. But how was it possible? Did they have a shield, protecting his mind to hide certain decisions? Or perhaps one that could alter memories?

Aro’s shoulders fell as he sighed heavily. He could really use Lorna’s company right now.


	20. Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

\--Forks, Washington--

“Sweet Artemis,” I said in amazement, “This is your house?”

It was huge, consisting of three stories. Sided in a beautiful, rich wood; with windows that were equally impressive in size. A balcony protruded from one side; and on it was a dozen other vampires and some buff guy without a shirt. They all stared apprehensively. Carlisle placed a hand on my shoulder, “Everyone, this is Lorna. She will be staying with us for awhile.”

“It’s all good, guys,” I shouted even though I didn’t need to, “You can just tie me up outside. I’ve already got the collar.”

I flicked the tag dangling from it for emphasis. Why was I even still wearing the damn thing? A blonde woman was the first to ask, “What are you? You reek worse than this one.”

She jerked her head toward the shirtless guy and he pulled a face in response. I snorted, “You guys don’t exactly smell like roses. But yeah, I’m a werewolf.”

“That’s not possible,” half naked guy leaped from the balcony, landing on his feet not too far from where I stood, “The La Push pack are the only wolf shifters in the States.”

“Oh, you’re so cute,” I reached up and pat his cheek, “I mean I’m a _real_ werewolf. One of the Children of the Moon.”

“Are you sure about this, Carlisle?” asked a vampire with copper hair. Immediately, I decided I didn’t like him. The doctor slid an arm around his wife’s waist, “She is not hostile. It would seem our diet makes us rather unappealing to her-”

“Outright repulsive,” I interjected.

“She also currently has nowhere else to go,” he continued, “I think we can open our home to her for a time.”

“Seriously, if you guys would rather me stay outside, it’s all good,” the coven leader was going to provide me with a steady food source, which I was eternally grateful for. I wasn’t about to overstep. The man’s wife, whose name I learned was Esme, pat my arm, “Absolutely not. You’ll stay in the guest room.”

The coven muttered agreement.

* * * * *

\--Volterra, Italy--

Aro paced, which wasn’t something he’d normally do. But, considering he was alone in his private chambers, he allowed himself the moment of unrest.

It had been two weeks now, since Lorna’s departure. Last he had heard from Demetri, they still hadn’t managed to catch up with her. The trio had been somewhere in Southern Mexico then. _Patience_ , he told himself, _They will find her_. But each day that passed, his anxiety grew. Would they truly find her? What would happen should they return empty handed? Aro was determined to find her, even if he had to send the entire Guard after her. He _would_ have her back.

He rolled his head, stretching his neck. The situation was eating away at him, little by little. The full weight of Marcus’ words had collapsed on him; and it grew more difficult to bear every hour that passed, it seemed. It was the reason for his anxiousness, his uncharacteristic fidgeting. He wasn’t entirely sure how to handle exactly what he was feeling. He needed an outlet for the pain. One that didn’t involve the destruction of any more of his furniture. So, he walked circles around his quarters, rolling out his neck and shoulders, trying to clear his mind.

There were other matters he needed to focus on. After consulting with several others, he had concluded the most likely way the Russians were blocking their thoughts was with some sort of shield. Perhaps similar to the talent Bella Cullen possessed. Their mind was shielded before giving their commands and, therefore, Aro could not see those moments. He had then sent Natalia, a Guard member who was particularly gifted at concealing herself, to keep an eye on the Russian Coven’s activities. So far she had nothing useful to report.

Admittedly, that was the only other pressing matter at present. With any luck, there would be crimes reported; something that could take his mind off _her_. A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, “Come in.”

The door opened just enough for Renata to peek her head in, “Master Aro, you’re requested in the throne room.”

He darted out the door, grateful for the distraction. That was, until he actually entered the chamber, “Natalia.”

She gave a shallow curtsy, “Master Aro.”

Natalia Romilly was a pretty, young thing; with honey blonde hair and a heart shaped face. Caius had discovered her four years ago, not long before their confrontation with the Cullens about their supposed immortal child. From the moment she had arrived, he had spent much of his free time attempting to “court” her, for lack of a better word. He hadn’t wanted to give her a false sense of love. After he had gained her trust and affection, he would treat her as his queen until he grew bored. Like Sulpicia, she would know this before. But he wanted to be sure she would not refuse him when he did finally stake his claim. Since meeting Lorna, though, he had no longer felt any type of attraction to her. He attempted to put as much distance between the two of them as he possibly could.

But…

Lorna had left him. Instead of allowing him to explain, she had run the first chance she got. What was worse, though, was that she hadn’t returned to him. Natalia, on the other hand, had. She always returned to him. Was one hundred percent loyal to him. The way she looked at him now was with devotion and admiration. Perhaps he should have claimed his prize when he’d had the opportunity.

Aro narrowed his eyes, “I believe you’re supposed to be in Russia.”

“And I was, Master,” she smirked, thrusting her hand toward him, “but I have some information you may find important.”

He quickly approached her, gripping her hand a bit more firmly than necessary. The images that flashed before him brought a smirk to his face, “Wonderful.”

The man released her hand and rushed to the table, flipping through a stack of maps, “You did well, my dear. Now, we must identify this vampire, and head off the group that is responsible for creating the newborns. Natalia, as you have seen this shield, you will be tasked with finding out who he is.”

“I request to remain here, Master Aro.”

He froze, “For what reason?”

She absentmindedly picked at her fingernails, “I get the feeling I’m more needed here.”

Aro clenched his jaw. Of course he knew what she was doing. She knew him well enough to see through his facade. His brothers could too, no doubt, but they knew better than to speak of it. Natalia was hoping to be a source of comfort for him. That she could be a safe outlet. And hoping to gain something more of him in the process. Despite the hot anger he felt toward Lorna right now, he wasn’t sure he wanted what she was truly offering, “Absolutely not. Only you and I have seen this man. And I have urgent matters to attend to here. It must be you to go.”

She frowned, but nodded, “Yes, Master.”

He turned his back to her, making a face as he snapped his fingers twice. Renata appeared once again, as though she could solidify from the shadows. She didn’t speak, only waited for his order. He recomposed himself, “Send in Wayland, Nicolaus, Jane, and Alec. I have an assignment for them.”

* * * * *

\--Forks, Washington--

“Is this really necessary?” I asked, turning to the two, incredibly buff men behind me. The vampire, Emmett, answered, “Yep. Sorry, just a precaution.”

“It’s fine, I’m sure you guys don’t want me dismembering any of your buddies by mistake,” I then looked to Jacob, the wanna-be, “And you’ll get to see how a real werewolf does it, lucky you.”

He rolled his eyes. I twirled my finger, indicating they needed to face the other way and they did so without hesitation. Removing my shirt and shorts, I decided to get a head start on the transformation, thanks to my moonstone. The beast erupted forth and I took off at a gallop. Suddenly, there was an equally large, rusty colored wolf appeared beside me. I snapped my teeth at him and he growled in response. There was another set of rapid footsteps not far behind us.

I pushed myself, mustering a burst of speed. Jacob could eat my dust. There was a herd of deer nearby that I briefly considered finding. No real need to, it would mostly have been for entertainment. Mister and Misses Cullen had been keeping me well fed, thank goodness. The rest of the Cullens weren’t awful. When I actually decided to come out of my room. Mostly I kept to myself, not wanting to disrupt their lives too much. I did emerge to help with whatever I could. It was the least I could do. Though, the other day I was introduced to Renesmee, the adorable, seemingly ten year old child of Edward and Bella. In reality, she should have only been four. But, apparently, hybrid children grow extremely quick. Which made zero sense to me. How does a human, who grows quite slow, and a vampire, who doesn’t grow at all, create something that ages two and a half times faster?

Anyway, as interesting as she was, it dug at a sore spot. Just as being around my nephews did. There hadn’t been many things in life I was certain about. But one thing I did know for sure was that I wanted children. Badly. And then I ran into Glenn, who stole that from me. I could adopt children, sure. But I had desired the full experience. The growing belly, the little kicks, the labor, meeting the baby for the first time. I’d never get it thanks to the virus that douchebag gave me. And as far as anyone knew, there was no cure for lycanthropy. Aside from a silver bullet between the eyes.

A groan rumbled in my chest and my pace began to slow. I wasn’t much in the mood for a run now. Instead I wanted to drown myself in ice cream and take a nap.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Aro had found me.

He twisted my arm around behind me, holding it there firmly. I felt his cool breath in my ear.

“You’re mine,” he whispered, then forced me to bend over the side of the bed. He pushed me into the mattress as his free hand reached between my legs. I could feel his erection against me and I whimpered. I absolutely ached for this man’s touch. I wanted him to fuck me hard until I couldn’t walk. As if he’d read my mind, he shoved my shorts over my hips and down my thighs. My knees shook as his rock hard dick slipped inside me and I moaned louder than I had meant to. But damn it, I had missed this man.

He grunted with every thrust, a sound that made my stomach tighten in arousal and churn in disgust. Aro didn’t seem like himself suddenly. And then I realized who it actually was behind me and began to struggle.

“You’re mine,” Glenn repeated, his voice rough, “Stop fighting.”

And I did. I had no choice but to obey the Alpha. A tear fell down my cheek.

I wished Aro was here.

* * * * *

I sat cross-legged on the floor of the balcony, the cold rain pattering lightly against my face. There had been a half smoked pack of cigarettes at the bottom of my bag. I had quit years ago, but Glenn had refused to. It had never been my intention to start again, but fuck it. After that dream, I needed one. I took a long drag and blew the smoke out through my nose. Footsteps approached, “You know, smoking is terrible for your health.”

I hummed, “Good thing I stopped three years ago, then.”

Carlisle sat beside me, which I wouldn’t have expected in a million years. Though he was very kind and caring. After all, he barely knew me, yet was willing to give me a roof over my head until I could figure some things out. He smiled softly.

“There’s something troubling you,” he stated. I snorted, “What, you’re a mind reader now, too?”

“You were crying in your sleep.”

“No, I wasn’t,” I mumbled, extinguishing the remainder of the cigarette against the bottom of my shoe. The two of us sat in silence. I knew he was waiting for me to talk but I wasn’t sure I wanted to. Then again, I had spilled my soul to the likes of Sir Gilbert after just meeting him. I blew out a breath, “I had just turned eighteen when I was bitten. At the time, the pack only consisted of two others. The Alpha and another young girl from the Midwest. Glenn, the Alpha, had plans to recruit new members, if you could call any of it that. So he wanted a Beta to help keep everyone under control. I thought for sure he’d choose Eileen. It seemed like he was interested in her and she was constantly wet for him. The asshole chose me.”

I shifted uncomfortably, “Picking a Beta is akin to picking a mate. The pair become bound to each other. And by some shit stroke of luck, the Beta doesn’t have to agree to it. What the Alpha says, goes. He took advantage of the fact he had an absolute hold over me, if you follow what I’m saying…”

As I trailed off, Carlisle nodded, his expression somber.

“Five years, I was put through that. Never getting a choice… And then, another man and his group of goons come along, killing everyone in the pack except me. Instead, he took me to stay with him.” I almost laughed at how ridiculous this all sounded, especially the parts I was playing down, “At first I hated him and thought he was a huge asshole. He patronized me for what I was. But it was because we were both trying to hide our real feelings about one another. I dare say, he even grew to be kind of sweet. I started to feel like he might actually have some kind of genuine feelings for me. And just when I was considering giving into my own, I find out the jackass is already married.”

I had to stop again to keep unwanted tears from shedding. The jerk didn’t deserve any more of them. Carlisle waited patiently for me to continue, “Considering all this, my dream was quite telling, I guess. In my dream, the other man had found me and wanted to bring me back home. And when I’d given in to him, suddenly the man turned into Glenn.”

_Dreams can be incredibly insightful, into one’s fears._

I could practically hear the asshole’s voice purr into my ear. So maybe my dream wasn’t saying Aro was just another Glenn. Maybe just that I was afraid that’s what he was, or would become. He’d lied and taken advantage of me. What was to stop him from doing more? I couldn’t believe that douchebag had a wife and hadn’t bothered to tell me… Just more bullshit I fell for hook, line, and sinker. Carlisle placed his hand on my shoulder and the sudden contact made me jump.

He was about to say something but I cut him off, “I’m not looking for pity or advice, really. Honestly, I’m not even sure anymore if I should be upset about him not telling me about his wife. He’s one of those people who has a reason for everything they do. Or don’t do. I just don’t want to be hurt anymore.”

The incredibly handsome doctor nodded, “You’ll do what you know is right.”

He pat my shoulder before standing and heading back inside. After he was gone, I snorted. Like hell I would. I had been away from Aro for a few months now and hadn’t once considered going back. Not seriously, anyway…

Okay, I had thought about it once or twice, but I refused to give him that satisfaction. Besides, it had been months, and he had yet to send anyone after me. Or come find me himself. Obviously he didn’t want me back too badly…

I sighed and tried to swallow back a sting of pain.

* * * * *

\--Panama--

“Dog,” Felix slammed his hands on the table, leaning right into Stuart’s face, “We have followed you almost to a new continent. Either you are the worst tracker of your kind, or you’re playing us. Which is it?”

Stuart didn’t bother to meet his gaze, or even look up from where he sat, “You’re dumber than I thought if you expected I’d _really_ lead you to Lorna.”

Felix jerked the man from his seat by the collar of his shirt. He pulled back a fist, but it was caught by Demetri, “Felix.”

The smaller vampire shook his head and Felix dropped his hand, but not the wolf. Demetri strolled closer, his tone calm, “A true shame. We may have even killed you quickly had you handed her over. Although, this could be much more fun.”

He pulled the cellphone from his coat and dialed. Stuart could guess who would be picking up on the other end. The man that sought her so desperately. For what, Stuart didn’t even want to know. But he’d be damned if he’d hand over his Beta to someone like Aro.

“Master Aro,” Demetri stared Stuart in the eyes, “It seems our canine friend has been intentionally leading us away from our target this entire time.”

The werewolf waited for screaming, anything, to come over the line but there was only silence. For a moment he thought maybe the vampire leader had hung up. And then he heard his flat tone, “Bring him to me.”

Followed by the unmistakable feedback of the phone being crushed. He didn’t bother to cringe.

“Consider it done,” Demetri said to no one as he pocketed his device.

* * * * *

\--Volterra, Italy--

The receptionist stared at him, wide-eyed. Aro let the crumpled handset drop from his grasp. As he walked away, he told her calmly, “See to it that the phone is repaired, my dear.”

He felt as though he had been expecting such news. After all, according to Lorna, the two had been quite close. It had been unlikely this man would sell her out, so to speak. Aro tapped his fingertips together as he thought. What to do now? The wolf was being brought to Volterra, to be held in the dungeon until his fate had been decided. His knee-jerk decision was to tear the man’s head from his shoulders. But then Lorna crept into his thoughts and he second guessed that choice. It would be saved for a later date. The priority remained: find his woman.

But what was he to do now? Demetri was unable to track her. His “insider” help had betrayed him. His remaining options were… What? Send the entire Guard after her? Wait for her to return to him? Aro wasn’t sure he liked either of those options. Committing every member of the coven to this one specific task was unwise. Should something happen, the three rulers would be left exposed. And, to be honest with himself, Lorna was too hard headed to return of her own free will.

His attention was suddenly pulled back by a face he hadn’t expected to see, “Natalia.”

The woman curtsied, “Hello, Master Aro.”

He stifled his annoyance as best he could, “What, pray tell, are you doing here? Do you not have an assignment to which you should be attending?”

She smiled playfully, “You underestimate my abilities, Master Aro.”

Natalia offered a manila envelope, which he snatched from her hands. He opened it and removed the pages contained inside, reading them quickly. The shield’s name was Bogdan Pavlov. Changed at the age of forty-three by Vladimir himself. While he spent most of the time with the coven at their lair in Saint Petersburg, he frequently left to see a human lover in Krasny Bor. Aro smiled. That was something he could use to his advantage. He smiled, “Well done, my dear.”

She stared at him expectantly. Aro kept his eyes on the papers, “Was there something you needed, Natalia?”

“How are you?”

The question caught him off guard, “I’m… fine, my dear. Why is it you ask?”

The petite woman shrugged, “You just haven’t seemed yourself since your pet got away.”

“A minor distraction,” he gathered the pages, tapping them against an end table so that they were stacked neatly, “I am fine.”

“Good,” she stepped closer, taking his tie in her fingers, “Because I was hoping maybe _we_ could spend some time together.”

Aro’s posture turned rigid.


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

\--Volterra, Italy--

Aro pushed her against the wall, his lips locked desperately with hers. His fingers tangled in her honey blonde hair as his free hand gripped her backside. Her breathing hitched, her own fingers flying down the buttons of his shirt. She tugged his belt, releasing it from the buckle, anxious to reach him. He didn’t object when she pushed down the waist of his trousers. A shiver rolled through him as she began to stroke him. He took her bottom lip between his teeth.

He wanted this badly. It had been a struggle, having been able to satisfy his more primal urges whenever the need arose, to suddenly having to deny them again because his partner vanished. Six months, it had been since she left. Lorna hadn’t come back. But Natalia was here. She’d been there for him the entire time. The woman practically hovered over him now. It was time to take advantage of what she had to offer.

Natalia pushed him back just a bit as she got down on her knees. Aro licked his lips, brushing the hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear. He watched as her pretty little mouth wrapped around him, taking him all the way to the base. A huff of delight left him. Her head bobbed up and down his erection, sucking gently as she caressed him. His grip in her hair tightened and he began to thrust his hips. It was a pleasant surprise that this action was met without complaint. Lorna would have stopped him for a scolding.

Lorna…

Aro tried to push her from his thoughts as he shoved himself into Natalia’s throat. He needed as deep as he could possibly get. Because, despite how much he was enjoying himself, he still wasn’t anywhere close to climaxing. As a matter of fact, he was beginning to find it difficult to even stay erect. Simply because he had thought of her, and it had immediately opened the floodgate. With a frustrated groan, he turned away from his playmate, walking across the room, “We cannot do this.”

He quickly tucked everything back into his pants, securing his belt and buttoning his shirt. Natalia approached him, attempting to wrap her arms around his waist. Aro snapped at her and shrugged away, “No, Natalia.”

Anger was bubbling to the surface. Not at the girl, but at himself. Nothing about his involvement with her had felt right, but he had ignored it. He was so angry with Lorna for leaving him. He wanted to punish her; by taking up a relationship with someone who actually wanted him. But he had never felt comfortable with it. Every time they kissed his stomach knotted. It had taken him some time to realize it wasn’t nerves of any kind. It was guilt.

There was only one thing he’d ever felt guilt for, and he’d worked hard to put that tragic event behind him. Although Marcus was a constant reminder of it. Now, though, he didn’t regret his decisions. He didn’t feel guilty for them. He stood by them, accepting the outcome whether it was positive or negative. Any “mistake” he made was a learning experience.

But now, at this moment… although she had been the one to leave, he felt as though he was betraying her with his attempt to be intimate with Natalia. It was not a feeling he appreciated at all. Aro’s shoulders fell sharply with his sigh.

“The wolf has her claws in you deep, huh?” she asked, sliding around him so she could see his face. So he looked at hers. There was no trace of hurt or anger on her features. Only a look of genuine concern. The man sighed again, “Deeper than you know, my dear.”

She frowned, but not at what he had said, “Demetri and Felix are searching for her again. Why don’t I take Wayland and look for her, too?”

Aro smiled as he took her hand, “As much as I appreciate your offer, I must decline. I actually have another task for the two of you.”

* * * * *

The Volturi king laid out a map before the small group. Of Saint Petersburg, Russia, and it’s surrounding cities. Next he deposited two photographs. The first was blurry, but clearly showed a tall man with messy brown hair and blood red eyes. The other was of a curvy woman with black hair and ice blue eyes. Aro pointed to the man, “This is Bogdan Pavlov. A shield very much like Isabella Cullen. The Russian leaders are using his gift to their advantage. He shields their minds before they issue their orders, effectively hiding them from me.”

“His mate,” he pointed to the woman, “is a human by the name of Marianna Vasilev. She lives on the outskirts of Krasny Bor. You are to intercept Bogdan on one of his trips to her. Natalia, Wayland, and Nicolaus will be responsible for containing him. Jane and Alec will subdue the human. Bring them both to me.”

He raised his eyebrows and waved his hand, indicating they were to leave. Natalia turned, beckoning to the group to follow. They filed quietly from the room.Once alone, Caius spoke up, “Any word on the whereabouts of your pet, brother?”

Aro answered without looking at him, “She is more than a mere pet, brother. I believe you know that.”

Caius said nothing. Aro continued, “But no, Demetri and Felix have yet to cross her scent.”

His brother raised a brow, “If she truly is more than your toy, what was it you were doing with Natalia earlier this afternoon?”

Aro pressed his lips together, “A transgression I expect will be forgotten.”

The blond shook his head but said nothing further. Aro tapped his fingers against the table. His brother didn’t understand. He had his mate, locked up in this very building. Caius could visit her any time he’d like, could easily have his urges satisfied. Aro’s lover was who knows where. He couldn’t see her, speak to her, take his pleasure in her. There was no laying in bed beside her the entire night watching her sleep, holding her securely. No running through the open fields during the moons. Pain spiked through his chest as he rubbed at the corners of his eyes. This was what Caius didn’t understand. The pain of not having his dearest one at his side. It only seemed to get worse as the days turned to weeks turned to months.

What was he doing with Natalia? Trying to numb that pain, even for a moment. He realized now it was unwise. Not only that, but it would not have accomplished anything anyway. Despite how badly he wished it, he knew it was not Lorna he was with. And he knew he didn’t want that from anyone but Lorna. No, such an occurrence would never happen again.

Aro had to have her back.

* * * * *

\--Forks, Washington--

“Lorna, may I have a word?” Carlisle asked, standing near a corner of the house. I hopped to my feet, “If you have to.”

Luckily, by this point, everyone knew my sarcasm was playful. He smiled as he waited for me to approach. Damn him and that smile. When I reached him, he took me around to the other side of the house. Why, I’m not sure. The little extra distance wouldn’t prevent anyone else from hearing us. He folded his arms, “Some friends of ours will be arriving from Alaska. I’d appreciate it if you were on your best behavior.”

“Me? Misbehave?” I waved a hand at him, “Wait, I’m not gonna want to kill them, am I? Please tell me they smell just as bad as you?”

He chuckled slightly, “They share our diet, so yes, they will be just as unappealing.”

I wiped imaginary sweat from my brow, “Phew, good. It’d be kind of awkward if I tried to eat one of your buddies. So, when are they coming?”

“Tomorrow.”

My face scrunched, “Tomorrow? And you waited until just now to talk about this? What if my being here would have been a problem?”

He patted my shoulder and walked away, answering none of my questions. Probably because he knew me well enough now to know they were rhetorical, but still. Rude. I walked back around to the front of the house, where I had been. The majority of the coven members were out hunting, but a few of them remained. I sat on a tree stump and watched Jacob play chess with the child. So far she had won every game they played. The longer I stared, the more I felt my expression slip. I spoke when the footsteps behind me got closer, “Does Carlisle know much about lycanthropy?”

Esme sat beside me, “I don’t believe so.”

We sat in silence for a while as we watched Renesmee. I spilled my guts to Carlisle before, so what the hell, I figured. “They say that when a woman is bitten, the virus leaves them unable to have children. But I’ve also heard a few stories about some who have. Only a rare few, it seems. I was just wondering if he’d know anything about it.”

She offered a smile, “Like us, there are so many different stories about what werewolves are or aren’t, I’m not sure anyone really knows for sure. Except for other Children of the Moon. Have you met many outside of your pack?”

I shook my head, “None. The Alpha made sure of it. Though, I don’t even know of many other packs in the States. There might be one on the East coast? But I know we’re pretty much nonexistent in Europe and Asia.”

“Yes, they’re being hunted by the Volturi. It’s a shame.”

My heart stopped at the mention of ‘Volturi’, but I tried not to react to that. Instead, I reacted to the other part, “You feel bad for my kind being slaughtered even though we exist strictly for destroying your kind?”

“Of course,” she answered softly, “You are still human.”

_Tell that to my ex_ , I wanted to say.

Wait, when did I start considering Aro my ex? We were never even together. Right? Just hooking up to relieve each other’s sexual tension. That last outing we were on totally wasn’t a date or anything…

But then why did thinking of him as my ex hurt so bad?


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

\--Volterra, Italy--

Caius raised his eyebrows when he entered the throne room. Aro sat at the table, a book cradled in his lap, looking quite… happy? The blond eyed him wearily as he approached and took a seat beside him, “You seem rather cheerful this morning.”

Aro turned with a smile, “Indeed. We can thank Corin for that.”

Caius rolled his eyes. Of course he’d seek her assistance. As though reading his mind, Aro added, “Six months has been too long to be without the presence of my love. I should like to see how you’d fare.”

Ignoring that last bit, Caius took the opportunity to speak while somewhat on topic, “Yes, speaking of Lorna. Six months _has_ been too long. The search effort needs to be increased.”

The smile fell just a bit, “Brother-”

“Do not ‘brother’ me,” the younger man tried to keep his temper in check, “She is an uncontrolled werewolf. Maybe she is no longer a threat to humans, but she _is_ a threat to our kind. And what if she infects others?”

Now Aro’s smile disappeared entirely, “Lorna would never. She despises what she has become.”

Caius snorted in retort, “Only because she’s under the impression she cannot procreate, not because of what she actually is. Do you honestly believe she gets no joy out of dismembering a vampire?”

But it seemed his brother had stopped listening after the first thing he said. Aro’s brows knit in confusion, “What is it you mean? The illness renders the female sterile.”

Caius darted away and reappeared with a book, which he offered, “I recommend reading this one. Much more accurate than the current one in our collection. This information comes directly from a man dedicated to their study. _Most_ female werewolves cannot reproduce. The Betas are the only ones that can. And only with their Alpha.”

Aro thumbed the pages, “She was physically involved with her Alpha and never conceived.”

The blond suppressed the desire to cringe. Too much information about the wolf than he wanted. “Yes, but did she accept him as her mate and Alpha?”

Before Aro could answer, Caius did it himself, “She did not. According to the research, a Beta must do so in order to be capable of it. Once she does, she will begin to have regular heat cycles, lucky you.”

Now he did visibly cringe. The thought of his brother and the dog being any more physically involved than they had been was stomach churning. And also, he realized how very Lorna that last line sounded. Aro shook his head, “How would such a thing even be possible? Assuming this is true, I’m no werewolf and incapable of becoming one. Therefore, I cannot possibly be seen as an Alpha.”

Caius shook the uncomfortable mental imagery from his mind, “Consider this, though, brother. You issue her commands regularly, and she obeys. Correct?”

Aro only stared, waiting for him to actually make his point. Caius gestured, “Have you once witnessed her execute a similar order from me? Marcus?”

No, he hadn’t. The memory of their first encounter replayed in his thoughts. She charged at Caius, intent on destroying him. Aro had demanded she stop. And she had. It was a phenomenon that had occurred more than once, actually, and he had yet to understand it. As for not listening to Caius, he had assumed it was because she disliked him.

“Anyway,” his brother continued, waving flippantly at the book, “There’s an entire section discussing their reproductive habits. It also discusses their changes. Now that Lorna is a mature wolf, she isn’t so much of a threat to humans as she is us. Immature wolves, on the other hand…”

He trailed off, shaking his head, “They cannot control themselves at all. They will slaughter a human as readily as a vampire. Allowing Lorna to remain out there, where she could create more of these beasts, is a liability. Your efforts to locate and retrieve her must be increased significantly.”

Now Aro frowned. As much as he would love to have his wolf found and returned immediately, it simply wasn’t feasible. “Brother, seven of our Guard are currently on assignment as it is. That leaves us with only twenty. It would not be wise to spread our number too thin. Sending more to look for Lorna will need to wait until Natalia’s team returns from Russia.”

Caius sighed. If it were up to him, he’d throw Natalia to the literal wolves. Well, wolf. Currently there was only one in their custody. Speaking off, “What do you plan to do with your prisoner, Aro?”

He hummed, “I’m undecided. I’d like to tear his throat out for his betrayal, but I fear Lorna would never forgive me. His fate remains to be seen.”

Not the answer Caius had been looking for. Normally, punishments were left for him to decide, but this one was a “special” case. So there was no overstepping this time. His eyes narrowed, “Do be timely about his judgment. We need no more dogs around here.”

Aro waved him off, now engrossed in the reading material he had been offered. His smile slowly returned as he read the part discussing the mating rituals of the Children of the Moon. Perhaps Caius should not be putting ideas into his brother’s head.

* * * * *

\--Forks, Washington--

I turned my nose to the sky and inhaled deeply. Nothing yet. So I continued pacing as the Cullens watched me. Carlisle chuckled, “There’s no need to be so restless, Lorna. They’re not a threat.”

“Call it a habit,” I muttered. My inner wolf was restless with the anticipation of _more_ vampires. Granted, they lived the same “vegetarian” lifestyle, but it was in my nature to be anxious when it came to the bloodsuckers. The blonde woman mentioned something about a kennel. _Har, har_. Bitch. I suppressed a growl. The wind shifted then, and I caught a whiff of something so foul I wanted to hurl. I grimaced, “Your friends are near.”

The thunder of their rapid footfalls grew louder before finally bursting from the trees. Five more reeking leeches appeared before us. And this time I did growl low in my chest. Everyone stared at me. I shrugged, “Sorry, I’ve been stressed.”

“What the hell is that?” A curly haired blonde lady asked, eyes wide. Another blonde woman with straight hair added, “And why is it wearing a dog collar?”

It? I snorted and then mumbled, “Because my ex thought he was funny.”

Again with the ‘ex’ shit…

Carlisle placed a hand on my shoulder. Dear Artemis, the man was sexy. It really was a shame he was married. “This is Lorna. Because of some unfortunate circumstances, she’s staying with us for awhile.”

“Okay…” the curly blonde continued, “But why did she growl and why does she smell like a wet dog that rolled in a blood puddle? Is she a shifter, too?”

I barked out a laugh, “Ah, that joke will never get old.”

I wiped a non-existent tear from my eye, “I’m a Child of the Moon.”

Shocked expressions spread across the newcomers faces. Esme stepped forward, “She is harmless to us, though.”

“Not gonna lie,” I interjected, “Your diet makes you smell worse than anything I’ve even smelled before. Like, I literally want to puke right now.”

The new coven exchanged glances.

* * * * *

Against my will, and theirs probably, we were introduced to each other. Kate was the one with the straight blonde hair. Apparently she was capable of producing an electrical current to zap people with. Naturally, I had to try it out. Yeah, it didn’t feel too nice. Her mate was a man with dark, messy hair named Garrett, a former nomad. Tonya was the curly haired one who apparently had no special talent and no mate. Carmen seemed nice enough. Apparently she was originally from Spain. I about choked when her mate, Eleazar, announced he was a former Volturi Guard member. I played it off as having inhaled a fly.

Apparently the group wasn’t staying for long. Only for the weekend, which was still longer than I cared for. But I could handle being near Eleazar for that long. Probably. No, not really. I excused myself and bailed to my bedroom to hide for the remainder of the day. Esme wasn’t really having it, though. She insisted I go hunting with them all. I politely declined. So now I was sprinting through the forest as everyone chased after their meals. I really had no need to pick at the animals they took down, they kept their kitchen well stocked for me and Renesmee, but I had to admit that it was nice stretching my legs.

“So,” Kate asked when we were back at home, sitting in the yard under the stars, “How long have you been a werewolf?”

“How old am I?” I asked myself, then counted on my fingers, “Five years. I was bitten just after I turned eighteen. The prick.”

I curled in on myself at just the thought of Glenn. Apparently I was more affected by him than I had told Aro…

...Also a man I didn’t really want to think about, but for different reasons.

Carlisle turned to the newcomers, “So, how is everything in Denali? We’ve been considering moving back in a year or two.”

Thank you for the save, Carlisle. I managed to catch his gaze and nodded, to which he smiled. Why were all the sweet men already married and I get stuck with an asshole who’s already married?! I shivered and decided I’d had enough for one day. I excused myself and retreated to bed.


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

\--Volterra, Italy--

“Curious creatures, the two of you are.”

Stuart opened his eyes to find the source of the voice sitting in the corner across from him. His legs were crossed, hands folded in his lap, with a smirk on his face as he stared. Though he’d never seen him before, Stuart could guess who he was, “Here to finally kill me?”

His smile widened in amusement, “Of course not. You’re much too useful at the moment.”

The man’s expression darkened slightly, “Merely curious what it is about you that my dear Lorna values so.”

“Ah,” Stuart nodded, “You’re Aro, then.”

He grinned again, “I am. I take it Lorna mentioned me?”

Stuart shrugged and watched the other man’s demeanor flicker. The wolf decided to take a lesson from his Beta and have some fun, “Obviously she’s talked about me. Did she tell you she used to want to sleep with me? Like, badly?”

He growled in satisfaction as Aro’s features hardened, mouth pressed into a line. Obviously the vampire hadn’t liked that. Had he struck a nerve? He continued, “We used to sneak out to the shed at this one place we stayed. She’d go down on me and then-”

“That’s quite enough,” Aro nearly snarled. Stuart snorted, “Unfortunately, that isn’t actually true. But since you insisted on being nosy, I thought I’d make it worth the while. So what do you actually want, leech?”

Aro was in his face in a flash, lips pulled back slightly, “I want to know where Lorna is. If you value your life at all, you will tell me.”

Stuart scoffed, “I risked my life leading your goons on a wild goose chase so she could run. I care about her enough to do that, you really think I’m going to hand her over to you now? Even if I did actually know where she went?”

The vampire stared a moment, then blinked, speaking more to himself than to Stuart, “You diverted my Guards to the South. She must have fled to the North, then.”

He snapped his fingers twice, and a tiny female vampire appeared as if she had manifested from the shadows, “Yes, Master Aro?”

“Call Demetri,” Aro ordered, not taking his eyes off Stuart, “Tell him and Felix to head into Canada, starting in the West.”

She bowed slightly, “Yes, Master.”

The woman disappeared as quickly as she had come. Aro continued to stare, an odd expression on his face, “I suppose I can see it.”

“See what?”

“What it is Lorna sees in you that appeals to her so.”

Stuart wrinkled his nose, “And that would be?”

Aro smiled and left the dungeon cell.

* * * * *

\--Forks, Washington--

“Oh, must you go so soon? Please stay another night,” Esme said sweetly. I hurriedly added, “Yes, please do!”

They all looked at me for a moment. To be honest, the words surprised me more than them. But the timing of this was too suspicious to me. The mind reading vampire takes his family to Seattle and suddenly Eleazar and Carmen have to return home? He smiled at Esme, “I do apologize, but there is some urgent business I must attend to.”

Yeah, I’ll bet there is. Ratting me the fuck out. Alright, just stay calm, Lorna. This guy is good buddies with Carlisle and the rest of the coven. Surely he wouldn’t throw them under the bus? Of course not. I was just being silly and paranoid. So I mumbled, “Good riddance.”

I turned to walk away, but not before seeing the apologetic look on Esme’s face. A set of footsteps followed behind me. Once we were finally out of their earshot, Carlisle asked, sounding concerned, “Is everything alright, Lorna?”

I sighed, “Peachy. Just feeling a little stressed is all. Tell your friends that I’m sorry, will you?”

He nodded, “Of course. Is there something you need?”

“Nah,” I tried to brush it off, “I’m gonna just try to grab some more sleep.”

Yeah, I didn’t sleep. Because when I tried, I had a nightmare. That Aro had shown up at the Cullen’s front door, demanding he be allowed in to reclaim what was his. I had tried to hide, but he was smarter this time. He found me immediately, gripping my wrist and yanking me from under the bed. Using the momentum, he jerked me to him, crushing his lips to mine. A hand fisted in my hair as his tongue invaded my mouth, probing greedily. He tugged my head back and forced me to my knees in front of him. Slowly, a cruel smile crossed his face.

I pressed my lips together. Aro grabbed me by the jaw, squeezing my cheeks, “Open.”

I did, unable to resist the Alpha authority in his voice. He slid his erection into my mouth, pushing me down him until my nose was buried in his hair. I gagged but he ignored it, pulling his hips back and thrusting forward into my throat again. Tears began to stream down my face as I realized we had an audience. The entire Cullen family standing around, reluctant to watch, but doing so anyway. No one dared speak up, to try to stop Aro from what he was doing to me. Not even Carlisle, no matter how much my eyes pleaded. Finally, he looked away.

Again, my head was jerked back. I coughed and gasped. Aro clicked his tongue in disapproval before pulling me to my feet and bending me over the bed, positioning himself behind me. That’s when I realized what was happening. He was claiming me as his Beta.

* * * * *

\--Volterra, Italy--

Eleazar had managed to keep his thoughts on the matter hidden until Edward had taken his family on a trip to the big city. The moment he had set eyes on the Child, though, it had been a struggle. Having served the Volturi Guard for some time, he was keen on all their laws. Such as the one prohibiting alliances of any kind between vampires and werewolves. How could his good friends do such a thing? Surely they were aware? Though, there was definitely something different about this particular one. Never had he seen such restraint before. She had growled once or twice but never made a move on them. Carlisle claimed it was their diet, and Eleazar didn’t entirely doubt that. But there seemed to be something...more.

“What’s wrong? Why must we leave?” Carmen had asked when Eleazar had finally made his decision. A difficult one it had been, but, as much as he valued his friendship with the Cullens, he could not allow such a thing to go unnoticed. After all, his true loyalty lay still with the Volturi. He was obligated to report such a thing.

“There is something urgent I must take care of,” he had told her simply. He would fill her in on the details after they were on their way, in case anyone happened to overhear. When they informed their generous hosts of their early departure, the wolf seemed suspicious. Perhaps it had been unwise to mention he was a former Guard. But he hadn’t been sure the Children of the Moon would even know who the Volturi were, though he supposed word got around. He could only hope she didn’t decide to run. He feared what would become of the Cullens if she did.

Once in the air, he informed Carmen of his plan. While she frowned, she was supportive of his decision. But she appeared saddened that such a cruel fate would befall a creature that was so unlike the others of its kind. I told her that I would ask Aro for some sort of leniency for the wolf. When they touched down in Volterra, it was just after dark. They easily maneuvered the streets, making their way to the town square. The pair was allowed inside the main building and into the elevator, descending down to another, familiar reception area. The place hadn’t changed since the last time they had been. They followed the hall, to the large double doors of the throne room.

They flew open.

The three leaders sat at the large table, each with documents before them. Aro looked up as the two entered, “Ah, Eleazar. To what do we owe the unexpected pleasure?”

He cleared his throat, stepping forward, “Regrettably, I must inform you of a… misdoing, by the Cullens.”

Aro raised his eyebrows. Caius snapped his book shut, “For goodness sake, what have they done this time?”

Eleazar held his hands behind his back, “It would seem the Cullens are in possession of a Child of the Moon.”

Aro shot across the room, reaching for Eleazar’s hand, his voice urgent, “Let me see.”

The former Volturi Guard gave him his hand. Aro gripped it tightly, staring into the distance. Eleazar watched as the man’s features shifted. Slowly, his eyes refocused and his smile stretched further across his face, “I’ve found you at last, my dear.”


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

Heels clicked down the hall, which was weird. Vampires moved with such grace they could move about undetected, even in heels. Obviously whoever was coming wanted us aware of it.

I sat on the floor, my back against the backside of the couch that Carlisle and Esme occupied. Kate, Garrett, and Tanya were on the couch opposite. What they were talking about, I had no clue. I would rather have been in my room but Carlisle thought it’d be good to socialize. So I had attempted to pretend. Then I gave up and decided to just chill back here alone. I was completely exhausted. After that nightmare, although starring him, I realized it wasn’t actually about Aro, not completely, I had refused to go back to sleep. My night had been spent out running, trying to read, watch TV, anything to stay awake. I was at the point now where I was dozing off for short periods of time when I blinked.

“Carlisle,” Alice’s voice sounded worried and serious. Carlisle must have turned to her, “What is it, Alice?”

“The Volturi are on their way.”

That son of a bitch.

I leapt to my feet, panic crushing my lungs, “The who are doing what, now?”

Everyone ignored me, though. Isabella spoke now, “But, why? What do they think we did now?”

I gave a near-hysterical laugh, “You’re harboring a werewolf, that’s what. So, to avoid you guys getting into trouble, I’d best be on my way.”

Carlisle’s hand appeared on my shoulder, “Calm down, Lorna. Maybe this is another misunderstanding. You’re not dangerous.”

“If they are coming about her,” Edward spoke up, “they won’t take it too kindly if she isn’t with us. I’m sorry, Lorna.”

“Fuck you!” I spat, trying to twist away from Carlisle. But now the muscular one, Emmett was wrapping me in his tight grip. The doctor sighed, “Edward is right, Lorna. If this is about you, their punishment will be much more harsh if we no longer have you.”

Damn it. I stopped struggling, “Fuck. Fine, you’re right.”

Emmett didn’t loosen his hold. I snarled, “I said I’m not going anywhere!”

Carlisle nodded and the buff jerk released me. He then looked back to Alice, “When?”

“Tomorrow.”

For fuck’s sake.

The doctor offered me a slight smile, “Aro is a good friend of mine. I’m sure we can figure this out. Don’t worry.”

I snorted, that was far from reassuring. Now that I knew Carlisle was buddy-buddy with Aro, there was no hope of him standing up for me. He’d throw me right to him. Fuck, fuck, fuck. At some point I had begun to pace.

“It’s only Aro, Caius, and Marcus coming. If they intended to punish anyone, there would be others, wouldn’t there?” Alice asked in her soft pixie voice and I laughed again. Of course they didn’t need any others. No one was getting punished except for me. Aro was going to drag me back to Volterra with him and, with that weird hold he had on me, I wouldn’t be able to fight him. Killing me would be a mercy I wouldn’t get.

“I need to go for a run. Muscles, you can come with if it makes you feel better,” I turned toward the deck before anyone could say anything. I vaulted the rail, landing on the balls of my feet on the forest floor. I didn’t bother undressing. My clothing shredded as I slipped into my wolf skin. I sprinted as fast as I could.

The Cullens must think I’m going crazy, the way I’m acting. I felt like I was. I didn’t want to go back to Aro. Well, mostly. Admittedly, I was terrified of him. But not for the reasons the Cullens would assume. Him acting as he did in my dreams was not a worry of mine. What I was afraid of was his behavior before I had left. Staying in my bed the entire night, caressing my cheek and lightly kissing along my shoulder and neck. How tender his touch was when he groped my breast, dipped his fingers between my thighs. That weird-ass connection we had when we locked eyes while he fucked me. The kiss in the rain. I wasn’t stupid.

The asshole loved me.

And I didn’t want him to.

He had a wife, for fuck’s sake! That he hadn’t bothered to tell me about. Which was just as damaging as if he’d lied outright. I didn’t understand anything that was happening right now. If he had a wife, why bother with me in the first place? Why come crawl into my pants when he already had a bed to lie in? I’ve been a bitch since day one, what could possibly have attracted him to me? What the hell was wrong with me for wanting him, too? He treated me like an animal!

My footfalls began to slow as my mind hurtled. That strange pull… Why did I feel it? What the hell was it, even? Because as awful as the idea of being reunited with the man was, part of my heart felt relieved. It wanted to be back with Aro, in his arms. In the rain, our tongues dancing and our arms tight around one another. In his bed, his breath panting in my ear as we indulged in each other. Curled beside him, sleeping peacefully.

I shook my head. This entire situation was a mess. I had been avoiding trying to figure it out. And I still planned to do just that. At least, while still with the Cullens. As knowledgeable as Carlisle was, as easy as he was to talk to, I didn’t want to discuss my relationship with Aro with him. Hell, I was doing my best to pretend there was no relationship. Seemed kind of pointless now. There was obviously something between us if he was beating feet to get to me so soon after Eleazar rat me out. I knew there was a reason I didn’t like him.

Slowly, I made my way back to the Cullen residence. Surprisingly, none of them had followed me. The trust must have been forced on them by Carlisle, who smiled when I re-entered, and not just because I was naked. On my way by, I mumbled, “I’ll be in my room.”

I stood in the warm shower for who knows how long. Attempting to relax. To hopefully coax my exhaustion forth, so that I might actually sleep without any nightmares. But that hope evaded me. The same dream began again. But this time, it quickly dissolved into the true scene. Glenn pushing himself on me, making me his Beta, while the rest of the pack watched. To humiliate me, to prove a point. Stuart looked on with glassy eyes. I silently begged for his help, but he turned away. No one dared go against their Alpha. It had been cruel. We didn’t speak for weeks after that. I struggled to understand why he wouldn’t move. To stop Glenn.

Alpha’s orders, that’s why.

But, conveniently, the second dream deciphered the first one. I was afraid Aro would turn out to be just like Glenn, and no one would help me. That part was definitely true. When he arrived tomorrow, he was going to demand I return to Volterra with him and the Cullens weren’t going to try to stop him. Who knew what awaited me once he had me back. Would he lock me in the dungeon again? Find some way to humiliate me? Would he hit me? He didn’t seem the kind of man that would strike me. Or force himself on me, as my dreams kept showing me. He could have done it at any time, but he’d waited for my consent. His bluff to take me by force had been just that, a bluff. No, I didn’t think he had it in him to treat me like Glenn had. Despite acting like he would.

I groaned. I was not looking forward to facing him.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

We stood in a clearing further up in the mountains. Apparently, this was where the Volturi had confronted them during their last visit. For a reported ‘immortal child.’ There had, however, been a last minute change. Demetri and Felix would be accompanying, as well as some blonde lady Alice didn’t recognize. No one was anticipating a fight, but it didn’t settle my anxiety. I stood behind the others, bouncing in place, chewing my lip, chewing my nails, trying to hide behind Emmett. Occasionally someone would glance to make sure I was still here but they otherwise stared ahead, waiting.

Figures appeared at the other end of the clearing. Walking directly toward us at painfully slow human speed. I took a deep breath, steeling myself. Aro didn’t get to see me frightened. All he was getting from me would be attitude. I tried to avoid looking at him, looking everywhere else I could, but I did chance a glance at him. His eyes were locked on Carlisle, paying me absolutely no mind. As much as I hated it, I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Caius definitely was looking at me, though. Again, the phrase “if looks could kill” applied.

They stopped a good distance away, leaving plenty of space between our two groups. Carlisle immediately stepped forward, “Aro, dear friend. I hadn’t expected to see you again so soon.”

“Neither had I, Carlisle,” Aro answered, cheerful but with a slight sharpness to his voice, “though, it is unfortunate that I’m once again here for business and not pleasure.”

I never wanted to hear him say that word again, in any context.

“What is it we can do for you, then?” Carlisle asked, beating around the bush. Aro smiled, “It has come to my attention that you possess something that belongs to me. I have come to reclaim it.”

The Cullens looked confused, not expecting that answer at all. I was the only one to see Aro’s eyes dart to me before refocusing on the elder Cullen. Carlisle shook his head, “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean, Aro.”

His expression shifted, his eyes burning, “You have my _mate_ , Carlisle. And I would like her back.”

Everyone immediately turned and looked at me. My heart had fallen through my stomach, anchoring me where I stood. Now I really didn’t want to go with him. Hearing the ‘m’ word yanked forth the nightmare from the other night. Maybe it had been straightforward. Carlisle slowly turned back to the Volturi leader, “But, Lorna is a Child of the Moon.”

“Yes, the irony of it hasn’t escaped my notice either,” Aro was beginning to sound impatient now, “but Marcus, here, can attest to its truth.”

I looked at Marcus, feeling a bit betrayed. As if he had something to do with it. Had it been him that told Aro to mate me? My blood ran cold when Aro directed his words directly at me, “Lorna, my dear.”

He held out his hand, a silent command. I only stared at him. After a moment, his fingers curled back, forming a fist. But, surprisingly, he didn’t look angry, “Now, Lorna. Let us end this nonsense. Return to Volterra with me, and we shall pretend this never occurred.”

Yeah, I highly doubted that. Aro began to approach me, his steps slow and deliberate. Or cautious? The way he moved now reminded me of the night we met. When he had been stupid enough to approach a werewolf to pet it.

“My dear,” he said as he came closer, “I would hate to have to use force to get you home.”

“Why?” I snapped, “Wasn’t a problem the first time.”

He stopped. The look on his face said I struck a nerve. “Different circumstances, Lorna. You’re well aware of that.”

“No, it really wasn’t.”

Aro fought to keep the smile firmly in place, “As you say, my dear.”

I narrowed my eyes, “I don’t want to go back to Volterra with you.”

He didn’t react, which was almost disappointing. Instead, he took several more steps forward, “I’m afraid that simply isn’t an option. One way or the other, you will be leaving with me.”

Well, I already knew that. As much as I didn’t want to be anywhere near him, I did. It wasn’t something I would admit aloud, of course, but I had missed him. There were times I had felt like I needed him, even. The downside to having to go back to him meant that those nightmares would need to be addressed...

“Aro-” Carlisle started to say, but the asshole held up his hand to quiet him. He reached out, his fingers brushing the underside of my chin, “You are my mate, my love. I cannot be without you.”

I looked him dead in the eye, “If you say that one more time I’m going to barf on your fancy shoes.”

He dropped his hand, frustration creeping across his features, “You may try to deny it all you’d like, but you will realize it sooner or later. I promise you that.”

My stomach knotted, images of Glenn flashing through my thoughts. I winced. Which didn’t go unnoticed by Aro. He frowned as he offered me his hand once again, “Come, my dear. We have much to discuss.”

“You can say that again,” I mumbled as I folded my arms across my chest. The next time he issued his command, his tone was more firm, “Come with me, my dear.”

Fuck. I finally slipped my hand into his, unable to resist the authority in his order. He pulled me to him, placing his other hand on my cheek and dragging his thumb across my bottom lip. Please do not kiss me. He lifted my hand, pressing his lips to my knuckles, “I’ve missed you.”

“Fuck you.”

“I’m sure you will.”

Aro rubbed the bridge of his nose while I leaned around him to look at the man responsible for those words, “Wow, Caius. I must have rubbed off on you.”

The blond scowled, “Absolutely not.”

“If you say so,” I pulled my hand from Aro’s so that I could make a heart, “Missed you too, buddy.”

If he could have turned red, he would have. Not from embarrassment, of course, but from anger. He was going to be irate by the time we made it back to the castle. I could feel the looks of horror at my back. Had anyone else spoke to the man the way I did, they would be killed before they could finish their sentence.

You know what I absolutely hated at this moment? How natural all this felt. Being reunited with Aro and his brothers felt like a relief of sorts. But. Something I hadn’t anticipated was feeling territorial. I glanced to the new woman among the Guard and looked back to Aro, who was still doing that frustrated thing with his face. I pulled his hand away, standing on the tips of my toes so that I could meet his lips. He seemed caught off guard at first. But soon enough one hand held my back while the other tangled in my hair, taking the kiss deeper. This, disturbingly enough, still felt right, too. I was even tempted to push things further, so that the blond woman would know to whom Aro belonged.

…I can’t believe I actually thought that. Dear Artemis, I was being hit with so many different thoughts and feels it was starting to give me a headache.

I pushed away from him, “I hate you.”

He hummed, brushing his fingers through my hair, “Yes, I can certainly tell.”

An arm hooked around my waist and he took me along as he approached Carlisle, “I appreciate you caring for my mate, dear friend. For it, you have my eternal gratitude.”

“Of course,” the doctor replied with a smile. As typical, Aro had to get the last word in, “I do hope next visit will be of leisure.”

With that, he turned us and began to walk away.

* * * * *

When I heard “private jet”, I thought of one of those smaller ones with just a bunch of fancy seats in it and a mini bar. To actually see it, I shouldn’t have been surprised it was fucking huge. “House on wings” was the better phrase for it. The plane had two floors, consisting of several rooms, a few bathrooms and a movie room. There was also a lounge area with an actual bar. Not sure why they needed it, but I wasn’t about to ask either. That’s where Caius, Marcus, and the others headed. Aro, on the other hand, pulled me the opposite direction, “Come.”

Though I wished I had a drink or three, I let him lead me down a slight hallway. He opened a door to the right and gestured for me to enter. My eyes nearly rolled out of my head when I did, “Of course you’d take me to a fucking bed-”

His mouth on mine cut off my words. He held my face tightly in his hands as his tongue caressed mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him against me tighter. His fingers found their way to my waist, pushing my shirt up slightly. I broke the kiss and tried to push him back, “Nah-uh, buddy. We have talking to do.”

“And we will, my dear,” his voice was silk, hands dipping into the sides of my shorts, “Later.”

I pushed harder, “No, now, Aro!”

He huffed a sigh through his nose, “Fine. What is it you’d like to discuss?”

My nose wrinkled, “You know damn well what I want to talk about!”

“The reason I did not tell you about Sulpicia is because we were separated,” he stared me in the eye, “And getting divorced.”

I stared back at him. He continued, “That is why she was there. So that we could make it final.”

He waited for me to speak, but I didn’t. Just stared. So he placed a hand to my cheek, stroking it gently. Finally, I managed to whisper, “You still should have told me.”

“I should have, yes.”

Dread filled my chest as the next question rolled from my tongue, “Who is that blonde woman?”

Aro’s face flickered, “Natalia. She is a high ranking member of the Guard.”

“Okay,” I prompted, “And what else?”

He looked perplexed. All I could do was shake my head, “Come on, Aro. I’m not stupid. I saw how she was looking at you. She either wants you or she’s been getting you. Which is it?”

The man frowned but didn’t answer immediately. But when I took a step toward the door he finally spoke up, grabbing my wrist, “My dear, you must understand that my needs didn’t vanish along with you.”

I jerked my arm free, “So how many times have you slept with her, then?”

“None.”

My eyes rolled, “Well, you obviously did something with her.”

His lips pressed together, “She did something for me.”

“Well, I hope it was amazing,” I held the door open, “If you could leave now, that’d be great.”

Aro scoffed, “Lorna, understand-”

I waved my hand at him, raising my voice, “You know what? Surprisingly, I do. I get it, alright? I’m not mad at you, I’m not mad at her, I’m just mad. And I could really use some time alone to work through my thoughts.”

He stepped forward, but didn’t leave. Instead, he pushed the door shut and placed a hand on my cheek, wiping away a tear with his thumb, “Tell me what is upsetting you, my dear.”

“Why do you even care?” I snapped.

“Because you are my mate.”

I grimaced. His look of concern intensified, “What is it, Lorna?”

My eyes narrowed and I briefly considered slapping him, “You’re really stupid enough to ask me that knowing what Glenn did to me? ….Why the fuck are you smiling?”

It wasn’t like a huge grin or anything but still. He took my hands in his, “My dear, you are misunderstanding how vampires mate. Though, you were also falsely informed on the ways of mating with your own kind, I’m afraid.”

“What the hell do you mean?”

“Vampires are mated through a special bond. We were brought together by fate, my dear, as though nature itself knew we’d be best suited for each other. We do not choose whom we bond with, but it exists between us. You feel drawn to me, and cannot explain why, correct?” he kissed my fingers and waited from an answer. The look in my eyes must have said enough, “That is the mating bond. It pulls us together. And when we are apart, it is agony.”

I hated when he was right, “What did you mean I don’t know about werewolf mating?”

“Caius presented me with a tome he had acquired, written by a man who had been studying the Children of the Moon. He was one himself, I believe. It is true that the female the Alpha mates with becomes the Beta, but,” he pulled me against him, laying my head against his chest, “what your Alpha did to you was not claiming you for his Beta.”

I gripped his shirt in my fist, my voice cracked slightly, “….What _is_ supposed to happen, then?”

He stroked my hair, “The female gets the choice. She must first accept the Alpha’s invitation, of sorts, to be his mate. And there then is a specific mating ritual that is performed.”

“I assume you know what this ritual entails?” I drew small circles around his chest. He hummed, “I do. Once you are prepared to accept me as your mate, we shall engage in it. Until then, we will carry on as usual. I will give the book to you once we are home for you to look over.”

“Wait, wait,” I pulled away slightly so I could look up at him, “What do you mean? Didn’t you just say your mating bond wasn’t a choice? And you’re a vampire. Why would you want to mate me like a werewolf?”

“Because _you_ are a werewolf. I feel it’s important we do this...properly, if you will. That being said, you may not get a choice as far as the bond is concerned, but I refuse to be the monster your Alpha had been.”

The man was blowing my mind right now. He was supposed to be an asshole. Why wasn’t he being an asshole?! I nuzzled into his neck, trying to decide if I wanted to cry or fuck his brains out.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

\--Volterra, Italy--

“Home, sweet, home,” I murmured, chucking my small bag onto one of the sofas. I turned around to look at Aro, who had suddenly appeared directly behind me. As I faced him, he took my face in his hands and, carefully but deeply, kissed me. My lips parted slightly and he seized the opportunity to slip his tongue in my mouth. His hands dropped down to my waist, pulling me against him. I could feel him throb with desire. He kissed at my neck before whispering, “I need you, dearest Lorna.”

My heart fluttered as heat surged through me. Damn this man! I pushed away from him, heading into the other room. Wiggling my shorts down my hips as I went, “Well?”

I had just reached the bed when he crashed into my back, putting us both face down on the mattress. He growled slightly as he nuzzled the back of my neck, squeezing a boob and grinding himself against me. I couldn’t help but gasp. It had been so long I had forgotten exactly what his touch did to me. I arched my back in, pressing my ass to his hips, “Would you hurry up?”

“Eager, are we?” he teased, dragging my earlobe through his teeth.

“Not at all,” I replied with heavy sarcasm.

His weight lifted off me and I could hear him working on his belt. I began to roll over but he quickly pushed a hand into my back, keeping me in place. That’s right, the position I was currently in drove him crazy for whatever reason. On my belly with my leg kicked out to the side. I’ll never forget that look on his face the night I caught him watching me sleep. Talk about hot and bothered.

Aro climbed back on top of me, his mouth working its way up my shoulder, to my neck, to my jaw. He pushed his erection into me slowly, as if savoring the way it felt. A deep sigh escaped him as he buried himself completely, hips tight against mine. I gripped a fist full of the comforter and gasped once again.

“I’ve missed you, my dear,” he whispered, voice shaking slightly. I whispered back, “I missed you, too.”

Not wanting to be too sentimental, I added, “Asshole.”

But he ignored me as he began to rock his hips. I could tell he was trying to control himself, to take it slow. Make love, rather than have crazy, lustful sex. That realization sent a spark of fear through me. The thought of us as a couple scared me, likely because of what Glenn had put me through. Though Aro had assured me that vampire mating, even legit werewolf mating for that matter, was nothing like the former Alpha had made me believe. But those thoughts were quickly extinguished as Aro moaned lightly into my ear. The truth was, my fears had nothing to do with Aro himself. It lied in the fact he was a man. More than capable of hurting me the same way Glenn had. My fear was in allowing myself to be vulnerable with a man after what he had done. But that was what I was doing now, wasn’t it?

“Stop.”

He did, but didn’t withdraw from me, “What is it, my dear?”

I squirmed beneath him, wiggling from my stomach onto my back, “I just want to be able to see you, that’s all.”

Did I actually admit that out loud? He leaned into me, capturing my lips as he mounted me once again. Suddenly, I was very nervous and I wasn’t sure why. Apparently he noticed, “Are you sure there isn’t something more? You look frightened.”

“I’m fine, I promise,” with my index finger I traced his lips. Yet another gasp left me as he entered me again, slowly but deeply. I put my hands on his chest, feeling the muscles flex with every thrust. His red eyes bore into mine and I didn’t try to look away. This had actually been the reason I wanted to face him. I needed to be able to see his eyes, to read them. Find whatever it was I was looking for. I reached under him, grabbing hold of his hips. My fingernails bit his skin as I pulled him deeper. He thrust rougher, trying to accomplish whatever it was I had wanted. Really, I just wanted him, and I felt like I couldn’t get enough. He kissed me passionately as he quickened his pace. I assumed he was getting ready to cum. And that assumption turned out to be correct. Only a moment later, he buried his face in the crook of my neck and he forced himself as far in as he possibly could, body tensing with his climax. His breath heaved from him with every pulse.

But now that our session of whatever this was had finished, I was beginning to feel a bit panicked again, “I’m gonna go take a shower now.”

I tried to get out from under him but he held me firmly in place. Aro gave his head a slight shake, “No, you will remain here and explain to me what it is going through your mind. What has you so afraid?.”

“I don’t want to,” I looked away from him. He kissed my cheek, “You must, sooner or later, my dear. I get the feeling it had something to do with why you ran away. It wasn’t all about Sulpicia, was it?”

Without meeting his gaze, I shook my head.

“You are frightened of me, and I would like to know why.”

“Don’t inflate your ego too much there, buddy,” I pat him on the chest, “it’s not you personally I’m afraid of. Remember when I told you what Glenn did hadn’t traumatized me?”

“I do.”

“Well, apparently I lied.” I turned away from him again. Aro caressed my cheek, “I assumed as much.”  
  


I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him. I sighed and spoke low, “You have no idea how hard it is for me to let my guard down, to let myself be vulnerable. The idea of being emotionally involved, the thought of _us_ , is outright terrifying. But it feels right and I don’t know what the fuck to do.”

“First, language,” Aro’s lips brushed against my neck, “Second, may I make a suggestion?”

“Sure.”

“Stop holding yourself back. By continuing to deny yourself your true desires, you are allowing him to remain in control. Take it back.”

“Easier said than done,” I mumbled. He had an answer for that too, “You will need to push yourself beyond your comfort level, my dear.”

I nodded, “I know.”

“So begin now,” he said with a smirk, swiping his thumb across my bottom lip, “and tell me what it is you really feel for me.”

My lips pressed together for a moment, “I hate you slightly less than I once did.”

He hummed, “It is a start, I suppose.”

With a quick kiss he backed off me finally, “Go and shower. I have a few business matters to attend to, and will require your assistance.”

I raised an eyebrow but he said nothing else, only jerked his head toward the bathroom. And I wasn’t even in the shower two minutes when suddenly he was behind me, his hands sliding down the insides of my thighs, “You know, I just recalled we weren’t quite finished with our _personal_ business.”

“Huh?”

There was a nip at my earlobe, “You have not yet been satisfied.”

I wrinkled my nose, “Says who?”

“Says I.”

My eyes rolled, “Of course. But you know what? It can wait. Really.”

“If you wish.”

Part of me expected he’d leave then, but instead he thought he’d help with my hygiene. And it was very odd, being unclothed with another man, his hands on me, and there being nothing sexual about it. Even when he washed over my tits, he never tried anything. He definitely wasn’t anything like Glenn, or even how I had thought of him before.

“Your hair has grown,” he commented, holding it in one hand as he pulled a brush through it with the other. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was something he’d read about in that book of his. ‘Tips on seducing your werewolf lover: groom them.’ I sighed, “Yeah, I need to get it trimmed.”

“I rather like it this way.”

Couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tease him, “You’re just saying that because it’s the same length as yours.”

We were silent for a moment before I asked my question, “So what is it we’re doing?”

I could practically hear the grin in his voice, “We have some prisoners that need dealt with. I think you’ll find it quite interesting.”

Finally he put the brush down and allowed me to stand up. The bed was still in disarray, which I had expected to bother him but he said nothing about it. He offered me his arm, “Shall we?”

I stared. These were the things I was afraid to do because it was the little things that could send the wrong message. But I had to push myself. I placed my arm through his, he smiled and patted my hand.

* * * * *

“Aren’t the two of you cute,” Caius remarked dryly as we approached. I was about to rebut when I noticed someone behind him. Immediately, I recognized her as Natalia and gripped Aro’s arm tighter. I hadn’t realized I was growling until Aro stroked my hand and shushed me. Natalia’s eyes were wide as she stared at me. I had considered apologizing but quickly decided nope. She needed to take her ass elsewhere. The girl stepped around Caius hesitantly and gave a shallow curtsy, “Master Aro, would you like for me to retrieve the human?”

“Not yet, my dear,” Aro had to shush me again. He tipped my chin up so he could kiss me, “It’s a term of endearment I use for many of my Guards. Call it a habit.”

I narrowed my eyes at the blond woman. Since when was I so jealous and territorial? Aro nodded at her and she opened the cell door, allowing us inside. His hold on me tightened instantaneously when I nearly charged. I snarled, straining against his arm.

“Lorna, no.”

His command had been gentle but firm, and I couldn’t help but obey. I stood where I was, teeth bared. Caius approached the vampire who was now pressed against the wall out of fear. He was tall and rather lanky with messy brown hair.

“What is that thing?” he gasped, eyes never leaving me. Aro smiled, “You do not need to concern yourself with her. Yet.”

“Whether you do is entirely up to you, actually,” Caius added casually, pretending to inspect his fingernails. The other vampire’s expression shifted, “What do you mean? And what have you done with Marianna?”

“She is safe, for now,” Aro said smoothly, “Let’s worry about you, Bogdan Pavlov. We understand you possess a very valuable gift. And that you have been using it to help your coven leaders plot against us.”

Aro pouted dramatically as he shook his head, “What a waste it would be to throw your talent away by feeding you to the literal wolves.”

Bogdan said nothing. Caius stepped closer to the man. So close their noses nearly touched. His tone threatening, “You may choose to join us, or you may choose to die. I promise the wolf won’t make it quick and painless. Do keep in mind your decision will determine that of your mate’s as well.”

The other vampire swallowed nervously, “What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Join us, her life will be spared. Though, she will be required to become one of us. Go against us, and the both of you will be fed to our resident werewolf,” Caius elaborated. I punctuated it with a deep growl in my chest.

“Don’t you dare touch Marianna!” Bogdan lunged and Aro released me. I crashed into him, sending us both to the ground. I snarled in his face. At some point, my fingernails had fallen out and claws now replaced them. They dug deep into Bodgan’s throat. He shrieked in pain, “Stop! Stop, I beg you!”

Aro smirked, “Lorna, come.”

With one last growl I backed off him, crawling back to the other vampires on all fours. I remained crouched, just in case I needed to spring back into action. Aro smiled down at me, a mix of adoration and smug satisfaction. I glared at him. Using me for his personal gain was not the way to win me over. Bogdan jumped to his feet, the holes in his neck slowly closing, “I thought keeping werewolves was illegal?”

“It is,” Caius answered, sounding annoyed, “Unfortunately, we had no choice but to make an exception.”

“You love me, admit it!” I practically shouted at him. He ignored me, “So, are you choosing to join us, then?”

Bogdan grit his teeth, “If it keeps my Marianna safe, yes.”

* * * * *

“Are you serious right now?” I snapped at Aro the second we stepped back into the hallway, Natalia only a few paces behind us. He glanced at me with furrowed brows, “I’m not sure what you-”

“Don’t give me that bullshit!”

“Language, Lorna.”

“Using me to threaten that leech into joining you?” I yelled at him, “If you want my help, great. I’ll help. Probably. But fucking ask first, you dick!”

Suddenly my back was against the wall, Aro’s hands on either side of my head. His blank face too close to mine. He whispered, “ _Language_.”

Somehow he managed to get closer, “You are overreacting, my dear. I had no intention to use you in such a way.”

“Right,” I said calmly, with a roll of my eyes. He frowned but said nothing more. Natalia stared, dumbfounded by what had just happened. She probably hadn’t seen anyone speak to Aro in such a way and live to talk about it. The man gave her a look and she averted her eyes. He turned back to me, “We shall discuss this later. There is one more prisoner we need to visit. I need some assistance in deciding what to do with him.”

I bit my tongue, trying to keep my temper under control. To my surprise, I actually felt a little bad about having just blown up at him. I probably did overreact and I probably had Glenn to thank for that too. Lashing out as a means of protecting myself. Though I knew in my heart I didn’t need protecting from Aro. Oddly enough. It likely didn’t help my anger that this blonde bimbo was still right behind us. I flexed my fists, trying so hard not to tell her off. Finally, I pulled my arm from Aro’s, “I can’t do this right now. I’m going back to _our_ room.”

“My dear-” Aro looked concerned and tried to reach out for me. I twisted out of his grasp, “You and _her_ can take care of it, I’m sure.”

He looked back at Natalia and she returned the glance. I used the opportunity to take off down the hall. Aro called after me, but I didn’t stop.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

I didn’t venture too far from the city, but I made sure to put several miles between us. And I kept moving, so it’d be difficult to find me. My breath came in heaves, trees blurring in my vision. I ran. As fast as I could. On four legs. I was running from a lot of things. The main one being Aro with Natalia. Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe I wasn’t. But my broken soul could only imagine the worst. They were still seeing each other. Doing who knew what. Ew. They were probably laughing behind my back at this very moment. This was still some sick game of his.

_But he was honest about it. And seemed, surprisingly, genuinely remorseful._ The reasonable side of my brain had a point. It’s true, he didn’t try to lie about it. _Only because I confronted him. He never would have told me otherwise._

_Maybe so, but he had the opportunity to lie and didn’t._

_Good for him. That doesn’t change what he did.  
  
You said you weren’t mad at him.  
  
I’m not mad, I’m in pain, damn it!_

_…_

_The thought of him being with someone else is eating me alive. And to put me face to face with her?_

_Maybe they intended to try and make amends?_

_Ha! That’s a good one._

_You know what you have to do then, right?_

_Fuck off._

_Accept his invitation to mate. Take him as your Alpha._

My steps faltered for a moment and I nearly tripped over myself. Of course that was the obvious thing to do. Apparently, deep down, that is what I wanted to do, even. But I just didn’t feel ready for it yet. Besides, I’ve been hauling ass through the woods for how many hours now and he hasn’t even come after me.

By the time I heard the brush snap, it was too late. Something heavy smashed into my right shoulder. The something even had arms that wrapped tightly around me as the two of us crashed into a tree. I snarled, slinging a trail of venom as I whipped my head, snapping my jaws but I couldn’t quite reach. But I had managed to flail enough that my paws met the bark. I pushed forcefully off the trunk, rolling over my attacker. The momentum got me back onto my feet but the leech was still attached. I thought it said something, but all I could hear was ringing in my ears. Which is what my kind often experienced when in a frenzy. I bucked, trying to shake it off. It held fast, trying to throw me to the ground. I rammed my right side into the same tree. It shattered. Splinters of wood rained to the ground and the remainder of the tree quickly fell on top of us.

Needless to say, the tree was a lot heavier than it looked.

* * * * *

When I woke, I was not surprised to find myself in a dungeon cell. _Mother fucker_. With effort, I pushed myself up into a sitting position on the mattress. My entire body hurt. Like I had been run over by a train. I rolled my shoulders, and then my neck. There was a sharp gnawing at my stomach and I was busting to use the bathroom. I groaned as I rubbed my forehead, “How long have I been out?”

I hadn’t expected to actually get an answer.

“Two days.” It was followed by a heavy sigh, “I apologize, my dear. I didn’t intend to harm you.”

I ignored him as I got to my feet too quickly. My head swam and I reached out for the wall to steady myself. His fingers brushed against my exposed arm, attempting to help, I guessed. But I jerked away before he could, entering the sad excuse of a powder room. Then again, dungeons weren’t exactly supposed to be glamorous. I took my time in the hopes he would take a hint and leave. But I never heard the door. Finally, I got tired of hanging out in the cramped restroom and decided to return to the “bed”. The asshole still stood there. His expression was strangely...sad?

“I’m terribly disappointed by your actions, my dear.”

“Whatever,” I mumbled before flopping down on the bare mattress once again, turning my back to him. He still didn’t get the hint, and his accusation sting like the bite of a whip, “You tried to run from me. Again.”

I looked back at him. Pain was clearly etched into his features. It did not suit him. I winced in response, “If I had wanted to run away, you would not have found me so close to Volterra. I just wanted some space from you and your girlfriend.”

My gaze returned to the wall, but I could feel his angry glare on my back, “She is no such thing to me, Lorna, and you well know that.”

“If I had, would I have ran?” I bit back at him. He took a step toward me, “I have done nothing to suggest otherwise.”

“No, just put your dick in her mouth, no biggie.”

I could just imagine the look on his face at my “vulgar” language, gaping like an idiot as he tried to think of a way to justify his actions. He didn’t disappoint, “You had left me. There was no indication of you returning. I _tried_ to find you. What would you have had me do, Lorna?”

“You know what’s really annoying?” I faced him now, sitting cross-legged on the mattress, “That you keep trying to brush this off like it’s nothing. We were on a break, so why should it matter to me if you mouth fucked someone else?”

His upper lip twitched.

“ _Language_ ,” I said mockingly before he could, “You know, if Carlisle had been single, I would have fucked his brains out in a heartbeat. Now, imagine that. How would _you_ have reacted?”

His face immediately contorted in rage. I threw my hands up, “We were on a break! What’s the big deal?”

Aro bared his teeth, “Carlisle is my dear friend, he would never-”

“Carlisle didn’t know!” I interjected, “I got an asshole like you to chase my tail. You really think I couldn’t get him in bed if I tried?”

He pointed at me threatening, “My dear-”

Really? Now I jumped to my feet, pushing him against the chest and screaming, “ _I_ am _your_ mate, Aro! Why don’t you fucking get it?!”

Tears stung my eyes as we stared at each other in silence. While I was waiting, I took several deep breaths in an attempt to rein them in. The seconds ticked by without a word from him. I’d had enough. I waved my hand at him, turning my back to him as the tears spilled over, “Get out.”

Arms tightly around myself, I pressed my forehead against the cold, damp stone. I shook. Not because I was cold, but because what I felt was too much for me. I hadn’t meant to say those few words. _I am your mate, Aro!_ But now they were out and there was no going back. I was afraid of what that meant. Would he expect me to do the stupid mating ritual now? _That_ I was not ready for. Still.

His hands rested on my shoulders, his chin on top of my head. He sighed, voice barely a whisper, “I do understand, my dear. The thing _you_ must understand is that I cannot change what happened.”

“No,” I choked out, “but you don’t have to keep waving it in front of me.”

He gently squeezed me, “That was not my intent, dearest Lorna. Her presence has to do with our other prisoner.”

“Huh?”

His lips were against my hair, “When we see the prisoner, she will be present. And then you will understand.”

This was bullshit. I shrugged away from him.

“ _I_ am _your_ mate, dear Lorna,” he spoke softly from where I had left him, “And Natalia is his.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note that, while fanfic updates are beginning again, they will be fairly infrequent for the time being. My focus is still mainly on my original novel. Expect an update to each once a month. Of course, it's possible there could be more, but don't anticipate it. But never fear, they will all be finished!


End file.
